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| The Clinic (Chile) | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Clinic (Chile) |
| Type | Weekly satirical newspaper |
| Format | Tabloid |
| Foundation | 1998 |
| Founders | Alejandra Matus; Cristián Warnken; Patricio Fernández |
| Language | Spanish |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Website | '' |
The Clinic (Chile) is a Chilean weekly satirical newspaper founded in 1998 in Santiago, Chile that combines investigative journalism, satire, and opinion. It emerged during the post-Augusto Pinochet transition era and has engaged with Chilean politics, cultural debates, and legal controversies involving public figures, institutions, and media conglomerates. The publication is notable for its irreverent covers, investigative pieces, and clashes with political actors across the spectrum.
The publication was born amid the aftermath of the 1998 arrest of Augusto Pinochet and the end of the Concertación governments' early phase, with founders drawn from editorial circles associated with Revista Sábado, La Nación (Chile), and independent journalism networks. Early contributors included journalists connected to El Mercurio (Chile), La Tercera, and La Nación (Chile) while cultural figures linked to Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and the Universidad de Santiago de Chile provided satire and commentary. During the 2000s the paper expanded coverage of controversies touching the Carabineros de Chile, Chile Vamos, Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia, and social movements such as the Chilean student protests, 2006 and 2011–2013 Chilean student protests. Its evolution paralleled changes at private media groups like COPESA and El Mercurio SAP, and intersected with legal disputes involving journalists from La Nación (Chile) and authors who published books through houses linked to Catalonia-era publishers.
The Clinic combines satirical cartoons, long-form investigations, and opinion columns, often mixing humor with exposés about figures from La Moneda, Interior Ministry officials, and members of the National Congress of Chile. Its style references traditions from Charlie Hebdo-style satire and Latin American publications such as Proceso (Mexico), while adopting a tabloid layout reminiscent of The Sun and Bild. Editorial contributors have debated positions related to parties like Partido por la Democracia, Unión Demócrata Independiente, and Partido Socialista de Chile, yet the paper resists simple left-right classification and frequently satirizes personalities across UDI and Revolución Democrática. Features include investigative dossiers, cover caricatures, cultural reviews tied to festivals such as the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, and interviews with figures associated with Cinema of Chile, Nueva canción chilena, and the Lopez era of Chilean arts.
The Clinic published exposés implicating individuals connected to the Rafael Garay affair, controversies around business groups akin to Soquimich (SQM), and reporting on cases touching the Arica y Parinacota Region and Magallanes Region public contracts. It ran investigations that provoked reactions from officials associated with Sebastián Piñera, Michelle Bachelet, and Cabinet members tied to ministries such as Ministry of Finance (Chile). Controversies have involved confrontations with media conglomerates like El Mercurio SAP and legal actions by public figures including clergy linked to the Roman Catholic Church in Chile and entertainers who performed at venues like the Teatro Municipal de Santiago and the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar. Its satire of judges and prosecutors in cases connected to the Military dictatorship of Chile and to investigations into human rights led to public debates with institutions such as the National Prosecutor's Office (Chile).
Columnists and contributors have included journalists from outlets such as El Mercurio (Chile), La Tercera, Diario Financiero, and Radio Cooperativa, alongside academics from Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez. Cartoonists and illustrators associated with the paper have ties to movements in Chilean cartooning and satirical art exhibited at venues like the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Chile). Guest writers have included novelists and poets linked to Biblioteca Nacional de Chile circuits, filmmakers from Cine Chile, and musicians from scenes that produced artists celebrated at the Premios Pulsar and the Viña del Mar International Song Festival.
Initially distributed in Santiago, Chile neighborhoods and university campuses such as Universidad de Chile and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, circulation grew into regional presence across Valparaíso Region, Biobío Region, and Maule Region. Reception among readers of outlets like El Mercurio (Chile), La Tercera, and COPESA properties has been polarizing, earning praise from proponents of investigative journalism associated with NGOs like Observatorio del Salmón and criticism from conservative voices linked to Unión Demócrata Independiente and business chambers such as the Cámara Chilena de la Construcción.
The Clinic has faced libel suits and injunctions from politicians, business leaders, and religious figures, bringing it into litigation with courts in Santiago, Chile and tribunals that adjudicate media disputes involving the Código Penal de Chile and civil defamation claims. Episodes included temporary seizures and disputes over cover images that sparked debates invoking rights discussed in institutions like the Corte Suprema de Chile and the Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. The paper has also clashed with regulatory entities overseeing broadcasting when republished content intersected with outlets regulated by the Consejo Nacional de Televisión de Chile.
Despite controversies, The Clinic has received journalism awards and recognition from bodies akin to the Colegio de Periodistas de Chile and cultural prizes awarded by institutions such as the Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio and academic honors from universities including Universidad de Valparaíso and Universidad Diego Portales. Its investigative pieces have been cited in reports by NGOs and referenced in parliamentary debates at the Palacio de La Moneda and sessions of the National Congress of Chile.
Category:Newspapers published in Chile Category:Satirical newspapers Category:Spanish-language newspapers