La Sexta's U-turn: from progressive icon to unashamed echo of power
Spain's La Sexta has shifted from progressive icon to an editorial line that would embarrass Intereconomía. Pressure from the IBEX, the launch of La Séptima, or groundwork for a new PSOE? The data.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
La Sens goes 'far-right': orders from above or simple survival?
In a matter of weeks, La Sens has gone from being Spain's benchmark for the pogre narrative to broadcasting headlines that would make Intereconomía blush. The swing is no accident: it coincides with the creation of La Séptima, a new free-to-air channel with a budget of over 20 million and a government-friendly profile. The question is whether this is a flock changing shepherd or a scramble to save its own skin.
The La Séptima factor: competition for the same pie
The most concrete trigger in the analysis is the imminent arrival of La Séptima. As has leaked out, the new channel – heir to the spirit of the old Veo7 but with political ambitions – will antiestéticature familiar morning-show faces, looped broadcasts and an editorial line aligned with the government. With that wedge, the centre-left ideological space becomes saturated. To avoid losing audience or institutional advertising, La Sens would be shifting to more conservative positions so as not to tread the same ground. It's the theory of the "shared pasture": if the pie is fixed, better to split the audiences than compete for the same lane.
PSOE renewal or a change of system?
Another line of thought holds that the shift is less about survival than about preparing the ground for a new PSOE (Spain's Socialist Party), the "good" one, with names like Lobato, Gómez or Page, which would replace a Sánchez burned out by corruption scandals (Ábalos, the flats scandal, the jewels). In this reading, La Sens would be abandoning its defence of Sánchez-ism to embrace a more moderate line that paves the way for that renewal. Some go further and speak of a "change of system": the economic elite (IBEX, banking, BlackRock) would have decided to finish off the current government, and the friendly media are receiving orders to align their editorials. The synchronisation is too much to be a coincidence.
The ideological pendulum and its costs
The result is a media landscape reminiscent of the Intereconomía era, but with a disoriented left. Young people raised in the Sánchez era have, according to the analyses, developed an anti-left profile, and the flight of pogre talent to new channels could accelerate. For now, La Sens keeps broadcasting, but its audience wonders whether the next panel show will be right-wing or centrist. The answer, as almost always, will come from those who own the money.
Related debates in the forum
In a matter of weeks, La Sens has gone from being Spain's benchmark for the pogre narrative to broadcasting headlines that would make Intereconomía blush. The swing is no accident: it coincides with the creation of La Séptima, a new free-to-air channel with a budget of over 20 million and a government-friendly profile. The question is whether this is a flock changing shepherd or a scramble to save its own skin.
The La Séptima factor: competition for the same pie
The most concrete trigger in the analysis is the imminent arrival of La Séptima. As has leaked out, the new channel – heir to the spirit of the old Veo7 but with political ambitions – will antiestéticature familiar morning-show faces, looped broadcasts and an editorial line aligned with the government. With that wedge, the centre-left ideological space becomes saturated. To avoid losing audience or institutional advertising, La Sens would be shifting to more conservative positions so as not to tread the same ground. It's the theory of the "shared pasture": if the pie is fixed, better to split the audiences than compete for the same lane.
PSOE renewal or a change of system?
Another line of thought holds that the shift is less about survival than about preparing the ground for a new PSOE (Spain's Socialist Party), the "good" one, with names like Lobato, Gómez or Page, which would replace a Sánchez burned out by corruption scandals (Ábalos, the flats scandal, the jewels). In this reading, La Sens would be abandoning its defence of Sánchez-ism to embrace a more moderate line that paves the way for that renewal. Some go further and speak of a "change of system": the economic elite (IBEX, banking, BlackRock) would have decided to finish off the current government, and the friendly media are receiving orders to align their editorials. The synchronisation is too much to be a coincidence.
The ideological pendulum and its costs
The result is a media landscape reminiscent of the Intereconomía era, but with a disoriented left. Young people raised in the Sánchez era have, according to the analyses, developed an anti-left profile, and the flight of pogre talent to new channels could accelerate. For now, La Sens keeps broadcasting, but its audience wonders whether the next panel show will be right-wing or centrist. The answer, as almost always, will come from those who own the money.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (75 replies).
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