Evolution of the Spanish media agenda (1980-2010). Longitudinal analysis of the front pages of two of the most important Spanish newspapers

The newspaper front page is a preferential media space where the journalistic selection and hierarchy are explicitly reflected. This article presents the results of a longitudinal study of the evolution of the Spanish media agenda, based on the analysis of two of the most important Spanish newspapers: El País and Abc, which have different editorial lines. The examination of these newspapers focuses on the identification of the main issues, actors, territories and degree of homogeneity of their main front-page news stories. The study of the evolution of the front-page agenda of these newspapers covered a three-decade period, from 1980 to 2010. A total of 800 news items were subjected to content analysis for this study. The results demonstrate, on the one hand, that there is a significant presence of issues and actors related to institutional policy and, on the other hand, that the Spanish press lacks an international perspective and is focused on national current affairs.