La Presse et l'émergence de l'opinion publique dans l'Espagne des Lumières

Elisabel Larriba examines the emergence of a public sphere in Spain by means of examination of the press over the course of the eighteenth century. The winning of freedoms had to deal with a dual regime of censorship: on the part of state and church but a more permissive system had emerged by the 1780s. The publications that emerged increasingly aimed to reach a broader section of Spanish society and facilitating wider distribution was pivotal to this project. Readership expanded particularly amongst social layers below the traditional elite and aristocratic readership: professionals, shopkeepers, artisans and state employees. Modest advances were also obtained in reaching a female readership. The combined impact of all of these developments was a public that was more knowledgeable, engaged and expansive than ever before. The press in Spain had now become a permanent feature in the life of the country and its impact would only expand