15.05.2025 - 11:51
A generational change has been announced by the newspaper coinciding with VilaWeb’s thirtieth anniversary. Beginning on June 1, the role of editor will be assumed by journalist Txell Partal.
The editor for the first thirty years, Assumpció Maresma, will remain involved as founder and shareholder, and will chair the board of directors. This transition will ensure the continuity of the newspaper in line with its founding values: editorial independence, journalistic honesty, integrity, and the courage to stand up to authoritarianism and any attempt at censorship or oppression—within the communicative framework of the Catalan countries.
Txell Partal holds a degree in political science from Pompeu Fabra University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Barcelona in partnership with Columbia Journalism School. Her first journalistic job was as a contributor to La Vanguardia. She later joined local tv station Betevé, where she developed much of her professional career. Throughout, she maintained a close collaboration with VilaWeb, promoting projects such as Letters for Freedom and producing reports and interviews. Four years ago, Txell Partal joined VilaWeb full-time, where she has worked in various editorial and coordination roles. She is currently the director of content planning and growth, and also hosts the weekly talk-show La tertúlia proscrita.
“I’ve known VilaWeb up close since the very beginning. In fact, I saw it being born in our living room. So I have a very clear sense of the paper’s founding values and what is essential to it,” says Txell Partal about the generational handover now consolidating the newspaper. She says she faces the challenge with the drive to grow the project and reach new audiences. “Journalism is undergoing a time of change, and we’ll be ready to face it, because we want to keep reporting on what happens in the Catalan-speaking territories and around the world for many more years to come.”
The current editor and founder of the newspaper, Assumpció Maresma, has published a special editorial article today in which she explains to readers the reasons for this transition. In it, Maresma writes that “this change will link to a generational handover that aims to guarantee the continuity of the newspaper and the will to preserve the founding values of journalistic independence and national commitment.”
The editor of VilaWeb also reflects: “Power has always wanted to keep the press, the media, under its control. There are unforgettable books and films that explain this very well. Today everything has become more sophisticated. Coherence is a value that seems to have vanished from our political and public life, which in turn facilitates the degradation of the journalistic world. A lack of scruples gains ground every day. I share all of this as a way of bearing witness. Even though it can be exhausting at times, it reaffirms the will to be, to exist, to strive to do our job better each day, and to persevere. This is the legacy I now pass on with renewed enthusiasm. These are difficult times for journalism and for freedom.”
She concludes by saying: “This is not a moment for nostalgia, but for determination, responsibility, and innovation.”
