La Tercera (Spanish for "The Third") is a Chilean newspaper published by Copesa. Founded on 7 July 1950 by the Picó Cañas family, it originated as an evening publication associated with La Hora before becoming a morning newspaper. It became one of Chile's principal national newspapers and a major competitor to El Mercurio. Academic research has characterized both newspapers as historically associated with the political right, while finding that La Tercera displayed a stronger ideological bias in its treatment of center-left governments than El Mercurio during the period studied.
The newspaper supported the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and subsequently operated during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. After the return to democracy, it underwent successive changes in format, ownership structure, management and editorial organization. It adopted the Berliner format in 2003 and returned to a tabloid format in 2019.
During the 2010s, La Tercera increasingly shifted toward a digital and multiplatform model. In 2018, the business newspaper Pulso was incorporated into La Tercera, while the newspaper launched digital products including La Tercera PM. In 2019, it introduced a digital subscription and expanded its digital partnership with The Wall Street Journal. Since 2021, its print edition has been restricted to weekends in the Metropolitan and Valparaíso regions, while its digital platforms have remained available throughout the country.
History
Origins and foundation
La Tercera was founded on 7 July 1950 by brothers Germán and Agustín Picó Cañas, together with Raúl Jaras Barros, as La 3a Edición de La Hora. It was initially an evening edition associated with the newspaper La Hora, and its name referred to its position among existing publications rather than to a geographical location. A scholarly study of the newspaper's early history identifies the Picó Cañas family as its founders and records its first issue as appearing on 7 July 1950. The paper initially had a tabloid-like physical format and generally consisted of approximately 24 pages.
The first issue appeared during the Korean War and carried the headline "Bombardean submarinos, serían rusos". The publication expanded rapidly, reaching a reported circulation of 100,000 copies by 25 August 1950.
During its first year, the publication evolved from an evening edition into a morning newspaper. It eventually became known simply as La Tercera de la Hora, and later as La Tercera.
Expansion and modernization
During the 1960s and 1970s, La Tercera expanded its circulation and became an important mass-market newspaper. In 1968, it launched Icarito, an educational supplement that covered subjects including history, art, science, mathematics and music. The supplement subsequently developed into one of Chile's best-known educational publications and eventually became an independent digital site.
In 1968, the newspaper moved its operations to Vicuña Mackenna 1870 in Santiago, where its editorial and printing operations were progressively modernized. During subsequent decades, the newspaper expanded its use of modern printing technology and developed a broader range of supplements and specialized content.
In 1982, during the 1982 FIFA World Cup, La Tercera produced special sports editions under the Extra title, reflecting the newspaper's emphasis on sports coverage and mass circulation.
During the 1990s, the newspaper underwent further redesigns and modernization. In 1994, it adopted a new visual presentation, while the 1990s also saw increased investment in computerization and new editorial technologies.
Return to democracy and repositioning
Following the restoration of civilian government in 1990, La Tercera continued to operate as one of Chile's major newspapers. Its political orientation remained associated with the center-right, although its coverage extended across the political spectrum. A comparative academic study of Chilean newspaper headlines from 1994 to 2010 found that La Tercera was more critical of the center-left governments it examined than El Mercurio, while also showing a stronger preference toward Sebastián Piñera in its coverage.
In 1997, journalist Fernando Paulsen became director of La Tercera. During this period the newspaper also revived the La Hora title as a separate publication within Copesa.
Cristián Bofill became director in 1999 and oversaw a period of modernization and editorial expansion. He remained in the position until 2013, when he left to join Canal 13. Guillermo Turner succeeded him as director.
Format changes and digital development
In 2003, La Tercera adopted the Berliner format as part of a redesign intended to modernize the newspaper and differentiate it from competing Chilean broadsheets.
In the 2000s, the newspaper expanded its online presence and established latercera.com as an increasingly important part of its operation. In 2008, Copesa developed a centralized media operation intended to coordinate its newspapers, magazines and digital services.
In 2010, La Tercera introduced a new masthead and strengthened its international content through an agreement with the Spanish newspaper El País. The same period saw increased emphasis on multimedia content and digital distribution.
In July 2017, Copesa moved its corporate offices from its longtime headquarters on Vicuña Mackenna in Ñuñoa to Apoquindo 4660 in Las Condes. The new headquarters housed La Tercera and other Copesa publications and was designed to support a multiplatform strategy centered on digital publishing.
Juan Pablo Larraín served as director from 2016 to 2018. In January 2019, José Luis Santa María succeeded him as director, having previously directed Qué Pasa and worked in the Puerto Rico media industry.
Pulso and the digital transformation
In March 2018, the business and economics newspaper Pulso, founded in 2011, began circulating together with La Tercera. The merger brought Pulso into the daily newspaper while retaining its specialization in business, finance and economics. The change also extended Pulso to weekend editions and integrated its digital platforms with those of La Tercera.
In March 2018, La Tercera launched La Tercera PM, a digital afternoon news product. It was designed as a digital-first publication providing a second daily news cycle and complemented the newspaper's traditional morning edition.
In April 2019, La Tercera launched its digital subscription service under the "Más que un diario" ("More than a newspaper") strategy. Print subscribers were given digital access without an additional charge, while the digital offering incorporated access to La Tercera PM, Pulso, Culto, Paula, Qué Pasa and MásDeco, among other products.
The transformation also included changes to the newsroom, the creation of an audience-focused unit, newsletters, podcasts and a greater emphasis on producing content for multiple formats. By 2019, the newspaper described its website as its primary publishing platform, with stories distributed in written, audio and video formats.
In April 2019, La Tercera also announced a strategic alliance with The Wall Street Journal. Subscribers could obtain digital access to the American newspaper, while selected Wall Street Journal content was made available through La Tercera platforms. The agreement was accompanied by the launch of Pulso Trader, a financial product focused on investment and markets.
In 2019, La Tercera also returned to the tabloid format, ending its use of the Berliner format that had been introduced in 2003.
Print restructuring
The newspaper's transition toward digital publishing accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, Copesa announced that La Tercera and La Cuarta would cease weekday print circulation and appear in print only on weekends in the Metropolitan and Valparaíso regions. The change was accompanied by substantial layoffs across Copesa and the discontinuation of the print editions of several magazines, including Paula and MásDeco.
The digital edition continued as a daily publication. The newspaper's current digital subscription service includes access to La Tercera, La Tercera PM, Pulso, Culto, Qué Pasa and Paula.
Ownership and organization
La Tercera is published by Copesa S.A., part of Grupo Copesa. The newspaper has been associated with the Saieh business group since the latter's acquisition and consolidation of control over Copesa. Copesa's corporate operations and La Tercera are headquartered at Apoquindo 4660 in Las Condes, Santiago.
José Luis Santa María has served as director since January 2019.
La Tercera is a member publication of the Periódicos Asociados Latinoamericanos (PAL), an association of Latin American newspapers.
Supplements and associated publications
Icarito
Icarito was launched by La Tercera in 1968 as an educational supplement. It covered a wide range of subjects intended primarily for schoolchildren, including history, art, science, mathematics and music.
The print version was published periodically alongside La Tercera until 2009. The brand subsequently continued as a digital educational resource.
Pulso
Pulso was established in November 2011 as a business, finance and economics publication with a multimedia focus.
In March 2018, Pulso became part of La Tercera and began circulating within the newspaper seven days a week. Its specialist business coverage was retained as part of the newspaper's broader editorial offering.
Paula, Qué Pasa and other publications
Copesa has operated several magazines and specialist publications associated with La Tercera, including Paula, Qué Pasa, MásDeco, Culto and Mouse. During the newspaper's digital transformation, several of these brands were increasingly developed as digital publications and incorporated into the La Tercera subscription ecosystem.
Controversies and political coverage
La Tercera has frequently been discussed in academic research on political bias in the Chilean press. Navia and Osorio's analysis of newspaper headlines between 1994 and 2010 found evidence of ideological differences in the treatment of Chilean presidents, with La Tercera displaying greater criticism of center-left presidents than of Sebastián Piñera.
The newspaper has also faced criticism over individual reports. During the 2019 Chilean protests, a report concerning the alleged presence of Venezuelan and Cuban agents in Chile generated internal controversy and criticism over the sourcing and accuracy of the information published.
During the 2022 Chilean constitutional referendum, La Tercera was among the major national media outlets covering the campaign and referendum. The Rechazo option won 61.89% of the vote, compared with 38.11% for Apruebo.
