José Ortega Spottorno founded El País and the first edition appeared in 1976. At that time, Spain was freeing itself from 40 years of authoritarian leadership. Published in Madrid, the morning paper has the largest circulation and readership of all Spanish newspapers. El País follows a centre-left course and takes an innovative stance on ethical issues. The paper gained great influence in a short time, becoming a high-quality source of information in a young democracy.