The Sánchez government has increased its aid to the media

In a democracy everyone is free to give their opinion on what is right and what is not. What is disgusting is watching how some sell their opinions, whether in exchange for a subsidy, institutional advertising or other favors. Traditional journalism had already entered into crisis with the rise of the Internet and the pandemic aggravated that situation. Media related to the Sánchez government asked it for help without blushing, and with the same lack of modesty, the government showered millions of euros on private television stations while destroying the Spanish economy, forcing a multitude of companies to close.

In that situation, the Sánchez government saw an opportunity to gain favor with the media and took advantage of it, making all of us Spaniards pay the bill. From 63 million euros in institutional advertising in 2019 it went to 158 million in 2022 and to 440 million in 2023. It has been a modern version of the "bread and circuses" policy of ancient Rome, but applied to today's journalism and paid for by everyone.

The PP also provides public aid to related media

It must be said that the socialists have not been the only ones who have done this. The Ayuso government in the Community of Madrid (of the Popular Party) has gone from dedicating 12 million euros to advertising institutional in 2023 to 27 million in 2024, coincidentally coinciding with a year in which the Popular Party faces several appointments with the polls: the regional elections in Galicia and the Basque Autonomous Community and the European elections. Someone will ask me what relationship these subsidies in Madrid have with the Basque and Catalan campaigns, and the reality is that subsidized digital media in Madrid are read in other communities and influence their regional campaigns.

A few days before calling the Galician elections on February 18, the Galician government (of the Popular Party) distributed almost 2 million euros in subsidies. The largest allocation, 584,993.36 euros, goes to a single newspaper related to the PP: La Voz de Galicia. That is only for the printed edition. The digital edition of that same newspaper receives another 268,625.40 euros in the same item of public aid.

Vox has requested the elimination of media subsidies

Coincidentally, during the pandemic there was only one party that criticized this aid to the media: Vox. A criticism that was directed at the government's irrigation of millions for private television stations while collecting their dues from the self-employed who were prevented from working during confinement. But the criticism of this party was not limited to that: Vox has also requested the elimination of subsidies to the media, as well as to political parties, unions and business organizations. Perhaps this explains the fact that many media outlets have become militant activists against Vox, directing all kinds of hoaxes, fake news, manipulations and attacks against that party, reaching a degree of animosity that exceeds, by far, the limits of the professional deontology of journalism.

Why is this not talked about in many media?

As you will see, I have talked about the subsidies from the PSOE and the PP. There are media that only talk about the subsidies granted by one of the two, while they remain silent about the subsidies granted by the other. It is usually the clearest indication of who is subsidizing the medium in question. Some media, simply, never talk about the subsidies their union receives. This usually indicates that they receive them from various sources.

If you can read that criticism here without exception it is becauseContando Estrelas does not receive subsidies or aid from anyone. It neither receives them, nor requests them nor accepts them. For almost 20 years, this site has made it a rule not to accept a single cent from rulers or political parties. Freedom demands independence, and independence requires not being economically tied to political power, even if that means making some sacrifices and giving up some comforts. That is what many media outlets and journalists should have engraved in their minds, but they have forgotten. It causes a lot of sadness and disgust to see that many media outlets have sold themselves to those they had to monitor.

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Photo: Efe.