The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, congratulated ElNacional on its first decade during an event held at the Palau de Pedralbes. He described it as a media outlet with its own voice and a reference in Catalan.
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, called on Monday at the Palau de Pedralbes to defend freedom of thought against currents that seek to homogenise society. He made this statement during the celebration of the tenth anniversary of ElNacional, which was attended by a broad representation of Catalan civil society.
Collboni highlighted that ElNacional is the most read digital media outlet in Catalan and described it as a publication with a Catalan vocation that also explains what happens in the capital, Barcelona. According to the mayor, journalism is not just a choice, but a necessity in a time of information overload and the spread of lies.
“Congratulations on this first decade of work that has made you the most read digital media outlet in Catalan.”
During his speech, he recalled that José Antich launched the project ten years ago with the idea of doing the journalism that, in his words, the smallest newspaper of all was asking for. Collboni emphasised the publication's ability to adapt to a digital environment where social media multiplies any news.
The mayor also defended the role of the press as a counterbalance to misinformation and called for journalistic work to protect coexistence and avoid the dynamics of fear and division. For Collboni, ElNacional provides a unique perspective on Catalunya that enriches public debate.
The event saw a strong municipal presence. From the governing team, the first deputy mayor, Laia Bonet, attended. From the opposition, Jordi Martí from Junts per Barcelona, Elisenda Alamany from ERC, and Dani Sirera from the PP, all of whom are heads of list for the upcoming municipal elections.
Former mayors Xavier Trias and Jordi Hereu, the latter a caretaker minister, were also present, along with Alberto Fernández Díaz, former president of the municipal group of the PP in the Barcelona City Council.
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