Gibraltar Chronicle. Second oldest newspaper published in English

photo: RedCoat10/public domain/Wikimedia and chronicle.gi/subscribe/

Under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, a tiny 6.7-square-kilometre patch of Europe at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, Gibraltar, was granted to the United Kingdom "forever". As an overseas Crown territory, 2666 kilometres away, it still functions under British rule. Although Spain has tried to reclaim it, the people resisted. In the latest referendum in 2006, they made it clear where they belong. Today, Gibraltar has its own constitution, currency, government and the second oldest English-language newspaper in the world, which owes its origin to Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt in 1801.

At the beginning of the 19th century, several British regiments were stationed in Gibraltar. To stop the French, they were deployed to the Nile. The officers’ families stayed behind, so when the first letters and updates arrived, they were posted on a bulletin board in the Garrison Library. After a few weeks, the board became too small, so the authorities decided to publish a bulletin.

The task was given to the librarian, a Frenchman named Charles Bouisson. The first four-page issue was released on 4 May 1801 under the long title: Continuation of the INTELLIGENCE FROM EGYPT received by His Majesty`s Ship Flora in three weeks from Alexandria (Continuation of intelligence information brought by His Majesty’s Ship Flora in three weeks from Alexandria). The first three pages in English and French reported news from Egypt. The fourth page described Admiral Horatio Nelson’s victory in Copenhagen and listed fallen officers on both fronts. The issue was printed and distributed by H. and T. Cowper, brothers who were both printers and booksellers.


The second issue was delivered to readers on 8 May with the same title, but it was decided the name had to be shortened. When the third issue appeared on 15 May, it was titled Gibraltar Chronicle and it has stayed that way ever since.

Military chronicle of reprints

After the revolutionary chaos, many refugees from France arrived in Gibraltar. Among them was a young man from Toulon, Charles Bouisson. The year was 1790. He was well-read, highly intelligent and fluent in several languages. He got a job as a librarian at the Garrison Library, and four years later he became assistant director. In 1801, he became the editor-in-chief of the Gibraltar Chronicle and took over the management of the garrison printing house. He held both positions for half a century.

The Chronicle was tightly linked to the military and for many years did not cover regional issues. It was published weekly with reprints from British, Spanish, French and even Russian newspapers, often in the original language. It featured:

• court documents
• military dispatches
• debates
• parliamentary proclamations

Charles Bouisson, although French, declared loyalty to the Crown and never questioned its actions in his texts. On 15 May, in the Gibraltar Chronicle, he wrote in an editorial:

No newspaper ever began in a more fortunate era than the Gibraltar Chronicle. The events we will report, whether from the east or the north, will be glorious for the British nation. We trust that under the care of the divine governor of the universe, Britain’s trade will flourish, its glory will rise high, and the courage of its fearless Sailors and Soldiers will preserve its fame and protect its shores.

At the same time, he took a jab at the French consul, calling his actions absurd and self-destructive. He informed readers the weekly would contain factual news. Essays or stories might appear, but he could not promise that.

The issues were numbered with Roman numerals. Below the main headline, Bouisson included a Latin motto:

Juvat immemmorata ferentem lngenuis oculifque legi, manibufque teneri (Rulers value just and proper laws)

It was not true of British law on this small patch of land, but with this motto the editor showed his loyalty.

Expensive paper from a man in knee-length trousers disappears for 5 months

For the next three years, the Chronicle delivered weighty information and praised every decision of the Crown, especially those about not giving Gibraltar to Spain. A small man in a white tie and knee-length trousers, as Bouisson called himself, did his best to please wealthy readers. The weekly was not cheap. It cost one and a half reales, the same as a worker’s daily wage. The editor also followed the wishes of the then-governor O’Hara and kept quiet about taxes, licenses and the actions of the dignitary. In short, there was censorship.

In 1804, the editor and his Chronicle lost their fight with the yellow fever epidemic. On 22 September, issue CLX (160) was published. The Chronicle was suspended overnight. Even though the previous day’s bulletin said Due to the unfavorable atmospheric condition and the constant eastern wind, the disease continues, but the increase is slight, the next issue didn’t appear until five months later in March 1805. At that time, 15,000 people lived on the Rock (as Gibraltar is called), and the disease claimed 6,000 lives.

A key moment in the history of the Chronicle and British journalism came on 21 October 1805, when Buisson printed the news of Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar and a battle report. This was a sensation because the news didn’t reach Britain and the king until 6 November, and The Times published it a day later.

The victorious battle report was brought to Gibraltar by fishermen who had met the British fleet at sea. Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood informed the Gibraltar governor not only about the victory but described the battle and what followed. Buisson, pleased with the development, printed the remaining details in a special supplement on Saturday, 2 November 1805.

The Chronicle was printed in English for obvious reasons, and sometimes in French. But besides soldiers and garrison residents, many civilians lived on the Rock, including Spanish merchants. In 1813, the military authorities launched a Spanish edition of the Chronicle. The first issue of El Cronista de Gibraltar was published on Monday, 12 July 1813, but it failed to gain the support of the Spanish community and soon disappeared. In 1868, Gibraltarian Spaniards funded their own daily, El Calpense. A year later, a new paper arrived, El Anunciador, and the Chronicle was no longer the only newspaper in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar Chronicle becomes a daily and seemingly drops the uniform

Major changes came to the bulletin in 1821. The flood of news led to the decision that Gibraltar needed a daily. The Chronicle became a daily newspaper under the title Gibraltar Chronicle and Military Intelligencer. In 1926, the subtitle Military Intelligencer was changed to Commercial Intelligence. The Chronicle was no longer strictly a military bulletin, although the Garrison authorities still ran it. Charles Bouisson wrote about global events but rarely about Gibraltar. London treated the Gibraltar Chronicle as a government paper. Travelers arriving on the Rock, like writer Andrew Bigelow, called it a provincial, Lilliputian curiosity, printed on a small half-octavo sheet.

Regardless of its reputation, the Chronicle remained Gibraltar’s only media outlet for nearly four decades. In 1824, the first telephone appeared in the newsroom. The world opened up to the Chronicle, especially London. Bouisson wrote about this technological wonder on 13 October 1824.

Charles Bouisson ran the modest Chronicle newsroom until 1854. His successor was James Farmer. He and his successor Thomas Gordon (1858-1862) focused on events tied to the Crown. Royal weddings, the Opium Wars or the joint occupation of Mexico with France and Spain in 1861. People on the Rock were a bit worried about the Spanish-Moroccan War that broke out in 1859, but it ended in peace. Only Edmund Cresswell, editor from 1862 to 1870, could claim a surge in local news. This was due to the construction of the Suez Canal. The British government opposed the project, and so did Gibraltar’s residents and the Chronicle.

The canal was built over 10 years (1859-1869), and many related events affected Gibraltar and its economy. That was the case in 1864, when a cholera and fever outbreak hit the Rock, claiming hundreds more lives. But by November 1869, no one remembered the arguments or the plague. Newspapers worldwide, including the British ones and the Gibraltar Chronicle, celebrated the great achievement. In 1882, under Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, the canal came under full British control. Chronicle readers, like all of Britain, celebrated and counted future profits, especially since a coaling station for new steamships opened the same year. This event was covered by "editor" Captain Hildyard.


Over half a century, from 1870 to 1919, the paper was continuously published and run by the military. There was little real journalism. Captains, majors or colonels were educated and from intellectual families. They knew how to write and understood politics and the economy. They presented reports in those fields. They edited local news and telegraphic world updates. The paper was published only in English. Printing was still done at the Garrison Library press, which gained great popularity at the end of the 19th century, when Gibraltar became a naval base. Officers used the library often and also wanted to stay informed. That is where the Gibraltar Chronicle came into play.

Military discipline. Until it wasn’t

Over the decades, some Chronicle editors came from non-military backgrounds, though still connected to service:

• B. S. Dawson was the civilian assistant to the chaplain. He ran the paper from 1874 to 1876
• William Macpherson, editor from 1894 to 1896, was a surgeon and athlete (boxing and gymnastics). He spoke German and studied logic.
• C. J. Griffin was the attorney general and led the paper during World War I from 1914 to 1917.
• Reverend R. M. Pitt, chaplain to the Armed Forces, headed the newsroom from 1918 to 1919

Between 1870 and 1919, 27 people managed the Gibraltar Chronicle and its printing press. This was due to troop and personnel rotations. Depending on the style of the current editor, stories were published either as dry facts or facts with flair. Sometimes an event got more space. In 1876, Major C. J. Gilbard reported on the visit of King Albert:

The arrival of HRH the Prince of Wales to "Serapis" was met with a proper royal reception. Illuminations took place at night. During his visit, His Royal Highness laid the foundation stone for the new market and attended the Theatre etc….

As Gibraltar chronicler Neville Chipulina wrote: Major Gilbard seems to be a man of as many professions as he advertised. (In 1879, the major created an advertising catalogue.) According to his own list, he was not only the librarian of the Garrison Library but also ADC to Governor Lord Napier of Magdala. Later, he also became police commissioner.

In 1887, then-editor-in-chief Major G. C. Wynne introduced another name change. Until World War II, the paper was titled Gibraltar Chronicle and Official Gazette.

The paper changed its look. The main title was shaped like the local symbol, the Rock. The subtitle formed the base of a triangle. In the center was Gibraltar’s coat of arms. Texts were printed in three columns. Illustrations and ads appeared. Articles were organized by topic. While the military discipline still applied and some subjects were off limits, something had shifted. The 20th century brought a new wave of information and further change. Even though Gibraltar is almost the end of Europe, the Gibraltar Chronicle didn’t want to trail behind the world’s press.

Chronicle with global habits

World War I did not interrupt the paper’s publication. News poured in from every direction. The port was full of ships and the city full of sailors from many nations. The editorial team had plenty to do. In 1919, Lieutenant Colonel E. L. H. James took charge for eight years, and the paper began to include specific and sometimes extensively covered regional issues:

• Smuggling as an age-old plague, though it had a strong influence on the local economy.
• growth of tourism
• sea accidents involving British ships (earlier, such events were banned from being mentioned, though there were several)
• military serving the local population (the Llanito Aerial Cable)
• ethnic and national matters (besides the British and Spanish, Gibraltar was home to native Gibraltarians, French, Jews, Italians, Moors, Maltese and even some Chinese)
• sports as a pastime for all residents, not just the Garrison (football matches)
• geological discoveries
• regional politics, the first elections on the Rock

The Chronicle shifted its profile and became a more familiar newspaper, friendly to the locals. It also became a source for crime news, with an investigative section. With thousands of sailors passing through the Rock’s port, various crimes occurred. Quick action was needed to catch the culprit. Courts and police handled their part, but the paper had its own people in town. It published detailed reports on events, investigations and trials.

Increasingly, not only did Gibraltar Chronicle print reprints from other newspapers, but other papers started quoting the Chronicle. Photos appeared rarely. In 1927, Major G. H. Teale took over from James and stayed until 1934. During his time, the Gibraltar Chronicle developed global habits.

The Rock became a tourist attraction. Views from the sea and of the sea drew crowds from all over the world. The tourism section wrote not only about current activities but also about the region’s history. It recommended local experiences such as shopping from a bum-boat (boats pulling up to ships) or riding in a traditional Gibraltar gharry carriage. Charity fairs became popular. Such initiatives, though on a smaller scale, were started by Charles Bouisson, and Gibraltar Chronicle was always a co-organizer. Gibraltar was in the spotlight, and not because of military reasons. The people of the Rock had reason to be proud.

Wartime turmoil and the death of General Sikorski

The 1930s brought growth in another area of life, education. Until then, churches ran it, and Jewish communities had their own schools. According to the Chronicle in early 1930, the colonial government became interested in education and appointed a Director of Education, who (of course) would come from Britain. As part of new trends, the paper began including reports (not exactly reviews) on theatre performances. Theatre existed on the Rock for a long time, but it hadn’t always been open to all. That slowly began to change, culture for the masses (GC, 10 February 1931).

Football matches - civilians versus military - were very popular. Reports included names of participants and increased interest, especially when the civilians won. Yet the peaceful life in Gibraltar at the time was overshadowed by rising fascism. The proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in April and riots in Madrid in May 1930 were troubling signs. As a military man, Teale knew what that could lead to.

In 1934, another change took place at the Chronicle. A civilian, N. C. Drury, took over and had to cover one of the biggest celebrations of the time: the Silver Jubilee of George V’s reign. From 6 to 19 May 1935, on land and sea, in every available space and in the Gibraltar Chronicle, this major event was celebrated.

Tension in Europe required a calm and objective outlook. But no one in Gibraltar was calm. The nearby neighbor and leader Franco caused concern. To help Spaniards better understand Gibraltar, in 1936 Drury once again launched a Spanish-language edition of the Chronicle. A special issue appeared on Tuesday, 21 July.

Drury ran the paper until 1942, and it was he who announced to the people of the Rock the outbreak of World War II. The military took control again. In May 1940, the first group of civilians was evacuated. Germany planned an invasion of Gibraltar (Operation Felix-Heinrich), so another group was evacuated in October. The Chronicle regularly updated readers on transport and sea conditions.

In 1942, Drury was evacuated but the paper kept running. The military took over once again. Until the end of 1944, the paper had five guardians. The news mainly focused on military affairs and came from British newspapers and Reuters.

In July 1943, Gibraltar was on everyone’s lips, especially among Poles. In a plane crash on 3 July at 23:05, General Władysław Sikorski died. The Gibraltar Chronicle published the sad news on 4 July. Brigadier Campbell, the editor at the time, was overwhelmed with nonstop phone calls.

As it became clear Germany was losing the war, the Rock’s residents began returning from exile. But there were also special guests. In early 1945, aboard a British ship, foreign correspondent George Donald McCormick of the Sunday Times arrived in Gibraltar. As a naval intelligence officer, he was ordered to take charge of the Gibraltar Chronicle. Though he tried to avoid the role and wanted to go home like any soldier, he stayed on the Rock for a year. The future spy novelist introduced some changes and to mark the war’s end, prepared a victory series VE-day from 7 to 9 May. The paper celebrated with its readers. The front pages featured photo stories from Gibraltar’s streets, the holiday fair and the Alameda square rally. The headlines read: I deliver Germans to victors, Keitel signs final.

Esmond Ryan builds the true Chronicle

Though the paper changed its look during the war, the post-war era gave it new polish. It was full of photos. Texts were printed in five columns, separated by vertical lines and clear headlines in a different font. The title no longer arched like the Rock, and it had no subtitle. Gibraltar Chronicle, framed and written in ornate Gothic type, appeared against the backdrop of Gibraltar’s coat of arms.

McCormick ran the editorial office reliably but announced his departure in 1946 and kept his word. He handed the paper over to T. Theobalds. But it wasn’t until 1947, when Esmond Ryan sat behind the editor’s desk, that things settled. Ryan put down roots in the newsroom for 20 years.


It wasn’t Ryan’s first connection with the paper. He was a local businessman and had run a hotel with his family since 1933. When his building was destroyed during one of the first bombings, he moved to the Garrison and helped at the library. In 1942, he took over the Chronicle’s editorial work from Major McLin. In 1943, as a civilian, he was evacuated, but he had caught the bug and, upon returning to Gibraltar, gladly took over from Theobalds. For the next two decades, he created the true Chronicle of the Rock.

Pre-war Gibraltar was a small community where nearly everyone knew one another. Young people mostly studied in Britain, and Ryan decided to use that to his advantage. He built relationships with students in Oxford and Edinburgh, who eagerly took up the challenge, knowing they would have a job on the Rock when they returned.

He wanted to attract global attention to the problems of this small region. And he succeeded. From 1963, he was supported by a young graduate in law and economics, Mike Brufal, who had already contributed as a student correspondent. He wrote about British matters, but mainly about Spain.

From the beginning, Brufal signed his articles with his full name, unaware that each time his work appeared in the Chronicle, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested (he had studied with Franco’s nephew): too many details, twisted words... always something. He stopped signing his work, and the calls stopped. Over four decades at the Chronicle, he searched the world for traces of Gibraltar. He conducted many interviews with people who contributed and still contribute to this small community. He died in February 2018. On his website Gibraltar Rock Jottings, he wrote:

The Chronicle is a record of everything related to Gibraltar’s problems, so it should publish everything. Gibraltarian readers are among the most sophisticated in the world and mature enough to make their own decisions.

Throughout his tenure, Esmond Ryan took care of every section of the paper, but regional news was closest to his heart. In 1955, he published a booklet titled Something about Gibraltar, which presented the history, culture and curiosities of the Rock. He didn’t forget about the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Without its own photographers, he built relationships with those from abroad who often visited the Rock. One of them was Ivor Nicholas, who was stationed in Gibraltar in 1953 with his unit. He was a royal and state photographer. In 1954, he captured visits by Field Marshal Montgomery and Queen Elizabeth II and her family. Years later, he shared many photos with the Chronicle that documented everyday life on the Rock because, as he said, I always carried my Rolleiflex, even on a walk. That’s how his private archive reached nearly 25,000 items.

Ryan wrote about his fellow citizens’ troubles, even though the paper was still under the patronage of the Garrison Library, meaning the military. And while not everything got through, new topics, columns and sections appeared.

• nature protection
• future technologies
• crime
• ongoing dangers in the bay’s waters (a depth charge explosion on 27 April 1951 killed 13 people)
• completion of evacuees’ return (1951)
• royal visits (1954)
• Spain’s continuous claims over Gibraltar (discussed at a UN session in 1955)
• White Paper (British) and Spanish Red Book (1966), the ongoing Gibraltar dispute.

The blockade of Gibraltar and the Moroccan route

In 1966, after nearly 20 years, Esmond Ryan was succeeded by Jon Morgan Searle. The new editor was born in Britain, raised in Canada, and met his wife in Gibraltar. He studied Fine Arts at the University of Quebec and then joined the British Royal Army Educational Corps, which sent him to the Rock. There he met his wife, and they moved to the UK, where he studied sociology. In the mid-1950s, he returned to Gibraltar, first working as a court officer, then as a teacher at St Jago’s school. When a reporter position opened at the Gibraltar Chronicle, the young teacher applied immediately and was hired. Ryan was pleased with the new talent, with a light touch and wide perspective.

In 1966, Searle was 36 years old, experienced in journalism and well-connected in the world. When he took over as editor, he set out to free the paper from military control. He succeeded, though the battle lasted over a decade, and the editor skillfully navigated between the Ministry of Defence and Gibraltar’s government. But first, he faced another international issue. In 1969, General Franco closed the Spanish-Gibraltar border and cut all phone lines. The blockade lasted 16 years. But the Chronicle kept publishing.

Before the border closure, Searle was banned from entering Spain, so he forged a path through Morocco, with regular ship connections from Gibraltar. This helped him build contacts with Moroccan journalists. The Chronicle introduced a new section, Border debates, and covered the plight of Spanish Linea residents who lost jobs in Gibraltar.

Franco’s decision came after a sovereignty referendum held on 10 September 1967, in which 99% of Rock residents chose the United Kingdom. The Chronicle had the referendum report, but the military blocked its release. The same happened a year later when the paper published an open letter from a group of Gibraltarian lawyers and businessmen known as the palomos (doves) (GC, 15 March 1968), who supported a political settlement with Spain. The doves even met with Spanish Foreign Ministry representatives. This triggered public outrage and unrest. Reports on those events were classified and are still inaccessible to journalists. Many documents about Gibraltar remain secret.

Jon Searle, sensitive to aesthetics, expressed his love of art in the Chronicle’s visual style. He changed the headline and article fonts, the layout, and introduced graphics. Photos became large and clear. The culture section expanded. All that was missing was "freedom of the press. "

An expanded network of correspondents boosted global news flow, while local reporters gained experience. Competition also began to emerge. In 1975, Gibraltar Panorama appeared, claiming to be the first real Gibraltarian newspaper because Gibraltar Chronicle was a military bulletin, so it didn’t count. Since 1950, Gibraltar Telegraph had existed, and from 1958, the Gibraltar Post (printing ended in 1987). There were also a few smaller publications. Searle began to dig deeper into the Rock and in 1976, the divorce between the Gibraltar Chronicle and the military was announced. The office stayed in the Garrison Library, as space on the Rock was scarce. Only in 2006 did the Chronicle move to a new headquarters in Watergate House. A year later, printing moved to New Harbors.

New life for the Chronicle with no political bias

Knowing that a newspaper alone is not enough and funding is essential, a local trust was established - Gibraltar Chronicle Newspaper Ltd. Gibraltar Chronicle became a regional, independent paper working on its own account. It started a second life. Jon Searle led the newsroom until 1987. He sought collaboration with journalists from Andalusia, Morocco and Gibraltar. And he succeeded. He was an editor open to the world, and the Chronicle followed suit. He worked with London’s The Times and Reuters. He trained many young Gibraltarian reporters for the job, including his own son, who took over in 1996.

After retiring, he remained involved with the Chronicle. He wrote about everyday life, culture and the arts. He devoted much time to the latter, creating sculptures and ceramics. One of his works stands in Alameda Gardens. Molly Bloom was commissioned for the 200th anniversary of the Chronicle.

Jon Morgan Searle passed away on 13 March 2012. In 1987, Francis Cantos took over. Cantos arrived in Gibraltar as a young correspondent from a Kensington paper. He stayed. He worked with the Gibraltar Post, and by the late 1970s, he was a Chronicle reporter. In the 1980s, he became the Chronicle’s UK correspondent. From 1984, he led the political section in Gibraltar.

He took charge of a popular and unique paper, which bore the motto: The paper with no political bias. And since it was no longer military, he had to report on a tragedy at the border. On 6 March 1988, Special Air Service soldiers shot three unarmed members of the Provisional IRA. One of them was a woman, Mairéad Farrell. Mistake or murder? There was an investigation, a trial and a European Court of Human Rights case. For Rock residents, it was a tragedy in broad daylight.

In 1991, the Chronicle reported the British military’s withdrawal from Gibraltar, Spain’s proposals on sovereignty, and their rejection by the Gibraltar Assembly. In July 1995, the paper was filled with commentary on riots over the banning and seizure of tobacco. A year later, it reported extensively on elections.

Apparently, Cantos impressed the new chief minister, who invited him to run his media office. The editor handed over the paper to Dominique Searle (Jon’s son) and spent the next 15 years as director of media for the Gibraltar government. He died suddenly on 13 August 2009 at the age of 57.

Two centuries with new energy

Dominique Searle, son of Jon, grew up in the Garrison Library. He knew the Chronicle inside out. After finishing school at Bayside Comprehensive, he studied literature and sociology at Essex. In 1984, he returned to the Rock and joined the Chronicle under his father’s guidance.

When he became editor, Searle was 36 years old and had seen a vast world. In that world were both young and mature workers and readers. In the late 1990s, he handed youth music coverage to the young. Sixteen-year-old Jonathan Sacramento wrote music reviews. After studying in Cardiff, he returned home and honed his journalism skills at the Chronicle. Today, he is a TV journalist.


Around that time, Searle recruited Peter Schirmer, an economic journalist from The Times. When Schirmer moved to Gibraltar, Searle invited him to write as an independent columnist and lead the finance section. Schirmer agreed. The Chronicle gained a true expert. His Friday articles were popular. He had a talent for explaining complex financial issues. He also wrote about new technologies and Supreme Court fraud. He worked at the Chronicle for 20 years. He passed away in February 2020.

In the 1990s, the Chronicle began to gain color and stepped into the digital age. In the 21st century, the old lady entered full-color and with her head held high. The year 2001 was special for the newsroom, for Dominique Searle, for the staff and for the Rock’s people. Gibraltar Chronicle celebrated its 200th birthday. On 15 May, a two-page color collector’s supplement was published, covering major events in the paper’s history. In addition:

• an exhibit of archival issues was organized (including the first from 1801)
• a series of anniversary stamps was released on 21 May
• Gibraltar Nynex issued colorful phone cards
• Pobjoy Mint and the government issued commemorative coins
• Jon Searle created the commemorative sculpture Molly Bloom (Joyce’s "Ulysses" heroine from Gibraltar who mentions the Chronicle)
• on 10 May, the play Molly Bloom’s Last Word by Danis Rose premiered
• the launch of a website was announced for 2001 (and the promise was kept)

There were flowers and congratulations, memories and future plans. The small editorial team was proud to compete with major British newspapers and to hold its own for such a small patch of the world. Dominique Searle thanked his team:

• Paco Oliva edited the news
• Alice Mascarenhas was chief editor and head of culture
• Jonathan Sacramento reporter
• Orlando Charvetto photographer

The editor did not forget the correspondents, admin staff, tech workers and the printing crew, headed by Charvetto.

Five thousand copies in a 30,000-person country

Two years later, in August, all of Gibraltar celebrated another milestone: 300 years of British rule. Though Spanish officials called it a celebration of British occupation, the people, most of whom speak Spanish, joined hands and surrounded their ROCK in honor of Freedom of the City (GC, 5 August 2004). During the tercentenary, Dominique Searle was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his work with the Chronicle.

In the following years, until 2015, the editor had to keep a close eye on sovereignty issues and Spain’s continued efforts to claim the Rock. Flights from Madrid to Gibraltar began in 2006, then were suspended in 2008. When phone restrictions (dialing codes) were lifted in 2007, everyone waited for their return. In May 2009, Spain violated Gibraltar’s territorial waters, prompting police and diplomatic intervention. At the UN, Spain’s claims were still under review. The people of Gibraltar stood firm. The Chronicle reported, informed, analyzed, debated. And so it continued.

Nothing changed in 2015, when Dominique Searle left the Chronicle after nearly 30 years to work for the government. He left the paper in great shape, with a circulation of 5,000 copies - an excellent number for a population of 33,000. He also left behind the Charter of the Gibraltar Chronicle (Carta of the Gibraltar Chronicle), a code that governs the paper’s publishing and editing. Violating it could lead to proceedings in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar. The newspaper’s staff is bound to:

• Follow an editorial policy based on:
• Publishing the Gibraltar Chronicle as an independent paper focusing on serious issues for the good of the entire Gibraltar community, free from any form of personal or party political, commercial, religious or other sectional control.
  
  • Supporting constitutional democracy expressed through free elections;
  • Gradually achieving social justice and discouraging all types of discrimination;
  • Promoting a society enriched by education, arts, culture and recreation, with a spirit of tolerance and understanding free from religious or other bias;
  • Promoting peace and tolerance and opposing all forms of violence and hate so that everyone can live in harmony, considering cultural, material and spiritual needs;
  • Encouraging understanding and compassion for other nations and peoples.

In line with this and to help readers form informed and independent judgments and to contribute effectively to the community, the following principles guide the Chronicle’s publication:

• information should be as accurate and complete as possible, and reported fairly;
• comments and opinions should be informed, responsible and based on facts;
• special attention should be given to fair representation of minorities and dissenting views.

Nothing to add, nothing to take away. Everyone agrees and abides.

Brexit, Covid and the mobile app

After Searle stepped down, the main desk in the modest newsroom, located in its new headquarters since 2006, was taken by Brian Reyes, who had joined the team in 2005. While studying at Oxford, he was already a Chronicle correspondent. Upon returning to Gibraltar, he became a reporter and later news editor.

Since taking over as editor-in-chief, one subject kept returning to the paper’s main columnist and his colleagues like a boomerang: BREXIT. Debates, analysis, predictions. This issue was discussed not only in the Gibraltar Chronicle but in all newspapers on the Rock. Although the UK divorced the European Union, Gibraltar’s situation remains unresolved. Spain still hopes to take over the Rock. The paper created a dedicated section for all Brexit-related matters.

There have been problems but also successes. The Chronicle launched accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and in November 2017, released an HTML5 app for desktop and iOS mobile devices. Our challenge as a small newsroom is to offer a high-quality product both in print and digital formats. The app is stylish and preserves the classic Chronicle look while adding new, exciting features to help us grow our digital presence, said Brian Reyes at the product’s launch.


For the past two years, the global issue has been the COVID-19 pandemic. But for Gibraltar residents, the struggle has been twofold: protecting their health and dealing with restrictions imposed by Spain. Especially at the border (GC, 22 October 2021).

Gibraltar Chronicle is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format with minimal advertising. It is available in both print and digital formats (www.chronicle.gi). Subscriptions are available. The paper is divided into sections:

• Home
• Local News
• Brexit
• UK/Spain News
• Features
• Sports
• Opinion & Analysis

Gibraltar Chronicle is a small newsroom for a big newspaper on a tiny patch of Europe that has been contested for centuries. It is a brand with over two centuries of history and a belief that it will survive the worst storms and remain on the British side. Legend says that when the last monkey disappears from the Rock, Gibraltar will fall to Spain. Brian Reyes laughs and reassures readers: we can sleep soundly because the monkeys are multiplying at an incredible rate.

Timeline of the Gibraltar Chronicle:

• 1801, 4 May - first issue: "Continuation of the INTELLIGENCE FROM EGYPT received by His Majesty`s ship Flora in three weeks from Alexandria"
• 1801, 8 May - second issue under the same title
• 1801, 15 May - title changed to Gibraltar Chronicle
• 1804, 22 September - 1805, March - publication halted due to yellow fever epidemic
• 1805, 21 October - article on Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar (published two weeks before London)
• 1813, 12 July - Spanish edition of the Chronicle
• 1821 - Chronicle becomes a daily titled Gibraltar Chronicle and Military Intelligencer
• 1824 - first telephone in the newsroom
• 1826 - subtitle changed to Commercial Intelligencer
• 1887-1945 - newspaper titled Gibraltar Chronicle and Official Gazette
• 1936, 21 July - special Spanish-language edition of the Chronicle
• 1945-1976 - civilian editors under military supervision
• 1976 - military hands the Chronicle over to civilians
• 1996 - first real Financial Column in the Chronicle
• 2001 - 200th anniversary of the newspaper
• 2001, 15 May - special anniversary collector’s supplement
• 2001 - Chronicle website launched
• 2016 - Brexit section created
• 2017 - Gibraltar Chronicle launches HTML5 app

sources:

• https://gibraltar.costasur.com/en/chronicle.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20160918160210/http://archives.chronicle.gi/bicentenery/history.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar_Chronicle
• https://www.chronicle.gi/
• https://www.pagesuite.com/news-article/gibraltar-chronicle-replica/
• https://gibraltar-intro.blogspot.com/2011/10/chapter-21_19.html
• https://lugaresquever.com/wiki/gibraltar-chronicle?spmchkbj=spmprvbj66j7
• https://www.ministryforheritage.gi/heritage-and-antiquities/garrison-library-and-gardens-15
• https://www.spantip.com/wiki/Gibraltar_Chronicle
• https://gibraltar-social-history.blogspot.com/
• https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/18732376.west-cumbrian-photographer-ivor-nicholas-shares-piece-unseen-history-gibraltar/
• http://2ndww.blogspot.com/
• http://www.rockjottings.com/docs/1216637213gib%20mag.pdf
• http://www.gibraltarpanorama.gi/153798
• http://it.knowledgr.com/18236326/JonMorganSearle
• https://web.archive.org/web/20120705133628/
• http://www.campodegibraltar.es/2012/03/14/john-searle-muere-a-la-edad-de-81-anos/
• https://archive.ph/20130107140215/http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=24294
• http://tiltingatwindmillsblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/salute-to-francis-cantos.html
• https://www.europasur.es/gibraltar/Fallece-Francis-Cantos-Gobierno-Penon_0_286771758
• https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-1929596