Public Funds Allocation to ABC Raises Questions in Madrid

• The Madrid regional government has allocated over 2.8 million euros in institutional advertising to the newspaper ABC over the past six years.
• Spending peaked in 2025 at 635,805 euros, reflecting a pattern of financial support toward media outlets aligned with the Partido Popular (PP).
• Critics suggest a correlation between this funding and the favorable editorial coverage provided to regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso.

Comparison with Industry Reach

• Data indicates a potential discrepancy between funding levels and media audience metrics:
  • El País reports an average of 15.5 million unique monthly users and a print circulation of 50,000.
  • ABC reports 11 million unique monthly users and a print circulation of 34,200.
• Despite El País having approximately 50% greater reach, public funding for ABC remains disproportionately high, trailing El País by only 14% in comparable advertising revenue.

Editorial Stance

• ABC maintains a consistently supportive stance toward the current regional administration, the monarchy, and conservative politics.
• Recent staffing changes at the newspaper, such as the hiring of Ketty Garat and Juan Soto Ivars, have reinforced its aggressive editorial line against the central government and leftist political movements.