Barcelona takes center stage today, Monday, May 4, 2026, as the host city for the 50th-anniversary celebrations of EL PAÍS. Following a weekend-long festival in Madrid, the Catalan capital will mark the occasion with the esteemed Ortega y Gasset Journalism Awards ceremony at the Saló de Cent in the City Hall. Later in the evening, an institutional reception will be held at the Museu Marítim, presided over by Their Majesties the King and Queen.
A Day for Readers and Renowned Personalities
Tuesday will be dedicated to readers, offering a unique opportunity for engagement. The Pompeu Fabra University and the Palau Macaya will host conversations with the three distinguished journalists honored with the awards: Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Svetlana Alexievich, former Nicaraguan Vice President Sergio Ramírez, and former editor of The Washington Post, Martin Baron. Additionally, acclaimed writer Javier Cercas and artist Miquel Barceló will participate in separate discussions.
Ortega y Gasset Awards: Recognizing Journalistic Excellence
For the third consecutive year, Barcelona proudly hosts the delivery of these prestigious awards, which celebrate the pinnacle of journalism. The ceremony at the City Hall’s most distinguished hall is scheduled for 1:30 PM and will be streamed live on the newspaper’s website. This special edition’s jury has chosen to recognize three careers defined by their unwavering defense of truth against power, their commitment to human rights, and a profound understanding of the journalistic profession. These principles resonate deeply with the values that inspired the founding of EL PAÍS and continue to guide its mission.
Svetlana Alexievich: Chronicler of Human Experience
“The war literally left us speechless. Only now are we beginning to recover,” Alexievich stated in an interview with this newspaper last November, describing the current sentiment within parts of the Russian sphere of influence. The author of Voices from Chernobyl and Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War has elevated oral history to a primary tool for narrating the memory of the Soviet Union – a past that, she explained in the same conversation, remains a vibrant political culture. “Homo Sovieticus is not dead. He is in the Kremlin and fights and shoots in Ukraine,” she told Pilar Bonet.
Sergio Ramírez: A Voice for Latin American Democracy
Ramírez, a columnist for this newspaper and author of works such as The Gilded Horse and Tongolele Didn’t Know How to Dance, has, through journalism and literature, forged an influential voice in the defense of democracy in Latin America. In a unique professional trajectory, as Javier Lafuente recently noted in these pages, the former Vice President of Nicaragua chose to step away from the political machinery to now subject it to the scrutiny of his pen. “In terms of political modernity, and despite corruption, drug trafficking, and institutional voids, democracies have advanced in Latin America. We are not going to be measured by exceptions,” the author reflected at the Hay Festival in Cartagena de Indias in 2022.
Martin Baron: Champion of Investigative Journalism
The third honoree, Martin Baron, boasts a distinguished career that includes, among other achievements, the investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Massachusetts published in The Boston Globe. His leadership at both that newspaper and The Washington Post, which he helmed until 2021, was characterized by a commitment to rigorous investigative journalism, independence from power, and newsrooms bolstered in ambition and size. “I have never again felt any affinity for any political candidate, party, or movement, and in general, I have always been deeply wary of politicians. I have always considered myself totally independent. It seems to me that being on the sidelines makes sense and is important. And in the end, it turned out to be true,” he wrote in his memoir, Collision of Power.
Barcelona’s Pride and Commitment to Journalism
Barcelona’s mayor, Jaume Collboni (PSC), expressed the city’s pride in hosting the Ortega y Gasset Awards. “At a time when disinformation and hate speech question coexistence, we reaffirm more than ever the importance of honest journalism. This open and deeply democratic city will continue to be an ally of culture, critical thinking, and freedom of expression,” he explained.
Institutional Reception and Distinguished Guests
Coinciding with the very day in 1976 that EL PAÍS first appeared on newsstands, the Museu Marítim will host the institutional anniversary celebration. Beneath a life-size replica of Juan de Austria’s royal galley, a key to the triumph of the Battle of Lepanto, the award recipients and representatives from the political and media world across Spain will gather. The ceremony will be presided over by the King and Queen. Also in attendance will be, among other personalities, the President of Grupo Prisa, Joseph Oughourlian; the Director of EL PAÍS, Jan Martínez Ahrens; and the Catalan President, Salvador Illa.
Engaging with Readers and Cultural Dialogues
On Tuesday, readers will have the opportunity to engage directly with the award-winning journalists. At 11:00 AM, at the Faculty of Communication of the Pompeu Fabra University, students and subscribers can listen to the three Ortega y Gasset laureates, who will converse with journalist Elena Sevillano. Later, at 6:00 PM, the Palau Macaya will be the venue for a dialogue between artist Miquel Barceló and writer Javier Cercas, under the umbrella of the newspaper’s 50th anniversary. They will discuss their careers and the passage of time with Ana Pantaleoni, editor-in-chief of the newspaper’s Catalan delegation.
Both are deeply connected to the celebration. The Mallorcan artist is the creator of Mondongo, the artwork that serves as the Ortega y Gasset award. Cercas, for his part, has recently published El periódico de la democracia (The Newspaper of Democracy), a book dedicated to the history of this newspaper, which is set to hit bookstores on May 7. Recently, in the pages of this newspaper, he recalled the motivation that led him to read it as a teenager and that, in a way, defines what EL PAÍS aspires to continue being: “It was journalism, but not only, it was also literature and ideas.”
Source: https://elpais.com/aniversario/2026-05-04/la-celebracion-de-los-50-anos-de-el-pais-aterriza-en-barcelona-con-los-premios-ortega-y-gasset-de-periodismo.html
