Les conditions sociales de la collaboration intellectuelle dans les moyens de grande diffusion. Le cas du journal espagnol El País (1986–1990)

The relations between the intellectual field and the journalistic field in Spain have been the subject of many studies, but little attention has been paid to the social conditions of these relations. This article presents an inventory of the conditions in which takes place the intellectuals’ participation in the journalistic field, based on the specific case study of the Spanish journal El País in the early years of the Post-Transición. This case is approached using a mixed methodology that includes the analysis of secondary data, the documentary analysis of the testimonies of various protagonists and a prosopography of 452 individuals who write op-eds in the journal. The results show the variety and effects of the social conditions involved in the intellectuals’ participation in the newspaper, from the limitations imposed by the economic dimension to the specific action of journalists, as well as the implicit requirements to become a contributor. These results lead to a rethinking of the terms of some of the debates that the intellectuals’ participation in the media has traditionally provoked.