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La Nación

From Alfawiki
La Nación
Company typeDaily newspaper
IndustryMedia, Publishing
FoundedJanuary 4, 1870; 156 years ago (1870-01-04)
FounderBartolomé Mitre and partners
Headquarters
Vicente López
,
Argentina
Area served
Argentina, international
Key people
Bartolomé Mitre (director, great-great-grandson of founder)
ProductsNewspaper, digital news, mobile applications, television channel (LN+)
Websitelanacion.com.ar

La Nación () stands as a prominent Argentine daily newspaper and is recognized as the leading conservative voice in the country’s press. Its primary rival in the media sphere is the more progressive Clarín. Esteemed as a newspaper of record within Argentina, it wields considerable influence across the national media environment.

The publication’s guiding principle declares: "La Nación will serve as a tribune of doctrine." It holds the position of second highest in print readership after Clarín, and ranks third in digital audience behind both Infobae and Clarín. Additionally, it provides mobile applications compatible with Android and iOS platforms.

Its printing facilities are situated in the City of Buenos Aires, while editorial operations take place in Vicente López, within the Province of Buenos Aires. This newsroom also functions as the broadcast studio for its television channel, LN+.

Overview

Established on 4 January 1870 by ex-President Bartolomé Mitre alongside partners, La Nación succeeded Nación Argentina. Leadership was under José Luis Murature until 1914. During the early 20th century, it commanded Latin America’s largest newspaper audience until the 1930s, with daily circulation figures near 350,000, surpassed only by the Buenos Aires tabloid Crítica. The entry of Clarín in 1945 introduced a significant competitor; following the closure of Crítica in 1962 and suspension of Crónica in 1975, La Nación cemented its role as Clarín’s main challenger.

Originally printed at Mitre’s residence—now preserved as the Museo Mitre—the newspaper relocated multiple times before settling into an architecturally distinctive Plateresque building on Florida Street in 1929. Currently, its publishing operations are housed in the 26-story Bouchard Plaza Tower, constructed between 2000 and 2004 atop the original premises.

Bartolomé Mitre’s great-great-grandson, who serves as director today, shares control over ADEPA—the Argentine press association—and Papel Prensa, Argentina’s foremost newsprint supplier, in partnership with Grupo Clarín. The newspaper was implicated during the politically sensitive Papel Prensa controversy under the Kirchner administrations; however, in 2016 Judge Julián Ercolini dismissed charges due to insufficient proof.

The paper’s decline correlates with diminishing influence of Argentina’s landed upper middle class. While it continues to represent their interests, its circulation has been halved alongside an approximate annual sales decrease of 8%.

In 2012, La Nación pursued international expansion by acquiring ImpreMedia, which publishes Spanish-language newspapers in the United States such as El Diario-La Prensa. On October 30, 2016, it transitioned weekday print editions to a tabloid layout while retaining broadsheet format on weekends.

Awards

In 2019, the Society for News Design honored La Nación as one of the World's Best Designed Newspapers, an accolade it shared with both The Sunday Times and The New York Times.

Circulation

In 2012, average daily circulation for La Nación was approximately 165,166 copies, accounting for nearly one-fifth of Buenos Aires’ daily newspaper market; distribution extends nationally and internationally.

Web traffic analysis from Alexa and SimilarWeb ranked La Nación’s website as Argentina’s ninth and seventeenth most visited respectively as of August 2015. SimilarWeb further identified it as the fourth most frequented news portal in Argentina with close to 32 million monthly visitors.

Editorial stance

Conceived originally to promote former President Bartolomé Mitre’s political ideals, La Nación evolved into a major platform supporting liberal thought and was regarded as the official mouthpiece for Argentina's oligarchic class. Mitre intended it to be a "platform of doctrine" advocating liberalism, opposing discrimination, and fostering equality between natives and immigrants.

Throughout its history, the publication endured four closures during the nineteenth century—the final one ordered by Julio Argentino Roca. During both World Wars, it backed the Allied powers while criticizing Argentina's stance of neutrality.

Under Jorge Adolfo Mitre’s leadership, editorial positions favored free education, secular burial grounds, and civil marriage. It took a critical view of President Hipólito Yrigoyen’s administrations but showed support for Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear’s government. Its literary supplement featured contributions from figures such as Benito Mussolini and Leon Trotsky.

The paper endorsed José Félix Uriburu's 1930 coup but later denounced electoral corruption during the "Infamous Decade" (1931–1943). It has consistently highlighted Argentine national culture and agriculture—aligning with sectors considered economically vital.

Distinguished writers including Victoria Ocampo, Adolfo Bioy Casares, and Ernesto Sabato found within its pages an intellectual climate blending liberalism and conservatism. Author Mario Vargas Llosa recognized its crucial role in shaping Argentine culture. Former contributor Julio Maria Sanguinetti noted that it served as a forum accommodating diverse political ideologies such as conservative liberalism, progressive liberalism, social democracy, Christian democracy, and civic nationalism.

While maintaining a conservative orientation, La Nación has historically resisted societal transformations imposed by changing realities. It labels both constitutional governments under Perón as "dictatorships," yet refrains from applying this term to subsequent military regimes following coups d'état. Former Deputy Director José Claudio Escribano described it as embodying both liberal and conservative traits—upholding Argentine cultural traditions, freedom, social order, republican institutions—and providing pluralistic coverage across various fields of knowledge.

Historic contributors

Among the most distinguished literary figures from Latin America who have been regular contributors are:

Notable columnists

The publication currently includes a roster of influential columnists and journalists, such as:

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