La designación de don Juan Carlos vista por los diarios madrileños: una perspectiva comparada

Abstract

The designation of Juan Carlos I as successor of Franco as King of Spain did not please all the written media in the context of Fraga’s 1966 Press Law. On the one hand, this decision did not satisfy the Falangist newspapers, which rejected monarchy and preferred to establish a regency. On the other hand, the most important monarchic dailies were in favor of the appointment of Don Juan de Bourbon as a King; while the ‘accidentalists’ placed public benefit and common good before any political system. This essay examines the most important opinion articles published in the newspapers Madrid, Pueblo, Ya and SP. It is intended to revise the way those media representing the main ideological trends dealt with the appointment. It focuses on those articles published two months before, during and one month after the designation was announced. The conclusion reached is that this event did not meet the impact to be expected from such relevant, transcendent measure.