In Spain, the ownership of major media outlets has become increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few powerful financial entities, which has major implications for the future of news. A recent investigation from Xnet examines how political advertising functioned during the 2024 election cycle, revealing the new ways in which voters receive political messaging.
Media Consolidation: A Non-Partisan Issue
A handful of influential financial groups now dominate Spain's media landscape, a shift that could profoundly shape the direction and integrity of journalism in the country. This concentrated control raises questions about the impartiality and diversity of perspectives available to the Spanish public. Some of these entities own media outlets that appeal to disparate political groups, producing content for both left- and right-leaning viewers. This consolidation across the ideological spectrum shows that all voters should be wary of where they get their news, regardless of where they stand politically.
2024 Elections: Victories for the Middle
In the 2024 European Parliamentary elections, Spain did not experience a far-right shift as in many other EU nations. The two dominant national parties, PSOE (the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and PP (People’s Party), increased their representation compared to previous elections, solidifying their hold over mainstream politics. Meanwhile, both far-right and far-left parties suffered losses.
According to Spanish law, media outlets are required to allocate airtime to political parties in proportion to their results from the previous election. This regulation is intended to create a fair and balanced media environment. In theory, it prevents any single party from dominating the airwaves and gives smaller parties a chance to reach the public. In practice, however, this guideline is frequently disregarded.
Xnet Investigation: Ad Spending and Targeting
One group monitoring the impact of financial interests on political media is Xnet, who used the WhoTargetsMe browser extension to detect political ads in 89 Spanish internet users. Their research found that political campaigns spent €778,127 on political ads from May 16th through June 9th (election day) 2024. While the highest-spending political party was PSOE, the parties were not the only actors responsible for political advertising. Left-wing influencers, funded independently of any official political party, were the group with the highest political ad budget. Xnet also concluded there is a high probability that ideological targeting was used by political groups who bought online political ads.
Resources
Xnet's research brief (English)
In Conversation with XNet, Spain | Election Monitoring Talks
More resources from this project
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French Regulations Restrict Political Ads, Yet the Far-Right Surges
Bulgaria’s 2024 EP Elections: From Problematic Targeting Techniques to Regulatory Gaps
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