Information control in Spain, 1939–1945

Abstract

The end of the civil war in Spain meant the introduction of a new information order on the territory of the state, characterized by the complete subordination of the media to political authority. The main function of the press was to give the nation the will of the rulers, and its activities were subject to control and strict regulation. To this end, it became necessary to create an efficient administrative system, whose construction was started during the civil war. The institutional system of censorship was subject to numerous transformations up to 1951, in which competences in this area were entrusted to the Ministry of Information and Tourism.
In addition to previous censorship, a special tool for press control were so-called consignas, or orders regarding both content and form of publication. Their application ensured the unity of the ideological regime, at the same time leading to the standardisation of press publications. Analysis of the content of the orders shows how much they were subordinated to the current interests of the state, both in the sphere of foreign and internal policy. This trend was most evident during the Second World War, during which nominally neutral Spain supported the Axis State first through the press, and then after 1942 tried to approach the Allies.