Spain’s interior ministry apologised to journalists and denied muzzling the media on Tuesday after a report revealed it had secretly compiled a list of reporters and their political opinions.
“The document was drawn up in secret… and contains a large number of files” on the journalists accompanied by photographs and “comments on their work and political positions”, El Confidencial said. The rare freedom of expression row in the EU nation comes with the Socialist-run ministry already under fire over its handling of July’s unprecedented migrant surge into Spain’s north African territory of Ceuta.
“Controversial journalist”, “independent”, “conservative tendency”, “far right”, “disinformation”, “clearly left wing and supports the government”, “lately more combative” and “radical right-wing ideology” were among the descriptions cited by the newspaper. The main opposition right-wing Popular Party accused the interior ministry of “attacking journalists” and contrasted its “blacklist” with the inability to foresee the Ceuta crisis, when more than 70,000 migrants entered from Morocco on July 30 and 31.
Concerns Raised Over Ministry’s Internal Document on Journalists
The Federation of Journalists’ Associations of Spain has criticized the interior ministry for creating a list of journalists, describing it as an act of “surveillance and potential retaliation” that threatens the integrity of critical journalism. The federation emphasized that such practices are fundamentally incompatible with the rule of law and represent a direct assault on press freedom.
In a statement, the FE asserted that no government body possesses the authority to register or ideologically profile journalists, labeling this as a significant infringement on their rights.
In response, the interior ministry defended the document, stating it was an “internal document” designed for consultation purposes and did not intend to impose any form of censorship or restrict journalistic activities. The ministry clarified that the list was created in 2024 and aimed to facilitate dialogue rather than limit press freedom.
