The beginnings of communication schools in Spain within their international context

When the first university schools of journalism and communication started in Spain in 1971, only a few European and North American countries had preferentially adopted an academic model. Variety was their dominant feature, exhibiting diverse professional cultures and sometimes political contexts. In countries with a long journalistic tradition such as the UK, learning on the job was the practice at that time. Labor unions were also prevalently responsible for the training of aspiring journalists in France and Germany. In contrast, in the USA, university journalism schools had been established some decades before. In addition, teaching and research in communication evolved via different paths in those countries that had a more noteworthy influence on Spain. The beginning of university-based schools of communication theoretically contributed to the establishment of a more suitable institutional platform for the delivery of communication research trends in the West. An analysis of historical, political, and institutional contexts converging in Spain in the 1970s is useful to describe how the first university schools were shaped in terms of both their incipient teaching and research challenges. A review of the literature covering both fields in Spain and other countries, along with some previously published archival sources, helps us to frame the case of Spain from a transnational viewpoint that considers the impact of contemporary foreign influences. The resulting broader comparative perspective provides a better overarching understanding of the case, even to the point of measuring the extent to which it can be considered a pioneer in this context.