Ernestina Herrera de Noble
Encyclopedia
Ernestina Herrera de Noble (born June 7, 1925) is a prominent Argentine publisher and executive. She is the largest shareholder of the Grupo Clarín
media conglomerate and director of the flagship Clarín
newspaper.
in 1925. She became a Flamenco
dancer and met Clarín
publisher Roberto Noble
, around 1950. The two maintained a sporadic relationship until Noble and his wife, Guadalupe Zapata, were divorced in the early 1960s. She and the publisher were married in 1967, and on January 12, 1969, he died of cancer.
As his widow, she inherited a controlling stake in Clarín, Argentina's most widely circulated newspaper since 1965. Despite its large circulation, however, Clarín suffered financial difficulties when Mrs. Noble inherited the director's post. She turned to one of the late Roberto Noble's most prominent allies, economist and wholesaler Rogelio Frigerio
, who lent Clarín US$10 million, in 1971. The paper continued to endorse Frigerio's centrist MID
platform, which centered on government support for infrastructure investment and import substitution industrialization. On Frigerio's advice, Mrs. Noble brought in Héctor Magnetto
, who took charge of the newspaper's finances.
The periodical's finances were further bolstered early in Mrs. Noble's tenure by a 1977 partnership established with its main competitors, La Nación
and La Razón
, and the Argentine State in Papel Prensa
- the largest domestic newsprint
manufacturer. Under her leadership, Clarín extended its reach into Argentine media
, purchasing two second-ranked outlets, Radio Mitre and Channel 13
, in 1990, Multicanal Cable TV in 1992, and other stations and magazines. She extended the partnership with La Nación by leading Clarín into a joint wire service
, Diarios y Noticias (DyN), in 1982, and into a holding company
in 1997, Cimeco S.A., which obtained majority stakes in numerous regional newspapers (notably Los Andes
of Mendoza
and La Voz del Interior
of Córdoba
). Controlled by Mrs. Noble and the paper's longtime directors, Héctor Magnetto, José Antonio Aranda and Lucio Rafael Pagliaro, Grupo Clarín was established from these holdings in 1999 as the most important media conglomerate in Argentina.
These successes were accompanied by numerous controversies surrounding her personally, however. She has maintained a long-standing probate
dispute with Roberto Noble's only offspring, Guadalupe Noble, who was born in 1958 during his marriage to Guadalupe Zapata. Mrs. Noble has settled part of the dispute with Guadalupe Noble, though the matter of the controlling stake in Grupo Clarín remains pending.
Mrs. Noble was detained in December 2002 by order of Judge Roberto Marquevich following a lawsuit filed by the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo
alleging that the two infants she adopted in 1976, Felipe and Marcela, should submit DNA samples on the possibility that their biological parents may have been abducted by the last dictatorship during their Dirty War
against dissidents. Her request to deny the samples was ruled in her favor in June 2008, though the case remains in litigation. On October 17, 2009, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
proposed the compulsory submission of DNA
samples in cases related to crimes against humanity, in a move lauded by the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, but excoriated by opposition figures as a political move against Mrs. Noble amid the controversies between Clarín and Kirchnerism
that first arose in 2008.
Similar motives are alleged by the opposition against the presidentially sponsored Media Law, which would restrict the number of media licenses per proprietor and allocate a greater share of these to state and NGOs, thereby limiting the influence of the Clarín Group. The hitherto cordial relations between Mrs. Noble and Kirchnerism
was further strained by a federal lawsuit filed by the executive branch alleging that the 1977 purchase of Papel Prensa had been illegally arranged.
Grupo Clarín
Grupo Clarín is the largest media conglomerate of Argentina.-Overview:Established as such in 1999, it includes the Clarín newspaper , Papel Prensa , the Artear media company, and numerous other media outlets.Rooted in the successful, 1945 launch of the centrist daily,...
media conglomerate and director of the flagship Clarín
Clarín (newspaper)
Clarín is the largest newspaper in Argentina, published by the Grupo Clarín media group. It was founded by Roberto Noble on 28 August 1945. It is politically centrist but popularly understood to oppose the Kirchner government...
newspaper.
Life and times
Ernestina Laura Herrera was born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in 1925. She became a Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
dancer and met Clarín
Clarín (newspaper)
Clarín is the largest newspaper in Argentina, published by the Grupo Clarín media group. It was founded by Roberto Noble on 28 August 1945. It is politically centrist but popularly understood to oppose the Kirchner government...
publisher Roberto Noble
Roberto Noble
Roberto Noble was an Argentine politician, journalist and publisher, perhaps best known for having founded Clarín, long Argentina's leading newsdaily and the most or second-most circulated in the Spanish-speaking world....
, around 1950. The two maintained a sporadic relationship until Noble and his wife, Guadalupe Zapata, were divorced in the early 1960s. She and the publisher were married in 1967, and on January 12, 1969, he died of cancer.
As his widow, she inherited a controlling stake in Clarín, Argentina's most widely circulated newspaper since 1965. Despite its large circulation, however, Clarín suffered financial difficulties when Mrs. Noble inherited the director's post. She turned to one of the late Roberto Noble's most prominent allies, economist and wholesaler Rogelio Frigerio
Rogelio Frigerio
Rogelio Frigerio was an Argentine economist, journalist and politician.-Background and early career:Rogelio Frigerio was born in Buenos Aires in 1914 to Gerónimo Frigerio and Carmen Guanzaroli...
, who lent Clarín US$10 million, in 1971. The paper continued to endorse Frigerio's centrist MID
Integration and Development Movement
The Integration and Development Movement or MID is a political party in Argentina.-Historical overview:Flying to Caracas, Venezuela in 1956, Argentine wholesaler and publisher Rogelio Frigerio secretly negotiated an agreement between his friend, the centrist UCR's 1951 vice-presidential nominee...
platform, which centered on government support for infrastructure investment and import substitution industrialization. On Frigerio's advice, Mrs. Noble brought in Héctor Magnetto
Héctor Magnetto
Héctor Horacio Magnetto is an Argentine executive associated with the Clarín Group, the country's largest media company.-Life and career:...
, who took charge of the newspaper's finances.
The periodical's finances were further bolstered early in Mrs. Noble's tenure by a 1977 partnership established with its main competitors, La Nación
La Nación
La Nación is an Argentine daily newspaper. The country's leading conservative paper, the centrist Clarín is its main competitor. It is the only newspaper in Argentina still published in broadsheet format.-Overview:...
and La Razón
La Razón (Buenos Aires)
La Razón is a local newspaper distributed in the public transportation system in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was founded in 1905 by Argentine journalist Emilio Morales an as an afternoon and evening newspaper in broadsheet format. The daily was acquired by a prominent news editor, José A...
, and the Argentine State in Papel Prensa
Papel Prensa
Papel Prensa is the largest Argentine manufacturer of newsprint, furnishing 75% of the local market in the staple. The public–private partnership became the focus of one of a series of controversies between Clarín and Kirchnerism in 2010.-Establishment:Papel Prensa originated in the establishment...
- the largest domestic newsprint
Newsprint
Newsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...
manufacturer. Under her leadership, Clarín extended its reach into Argentine media
Communications in Argentina
Communications in Argentina gives an overview of the postal, telephone, Internet, radio, television, and newspaper services available in Argentina.-Postal:...
, purchasing two second-ranked outlets, Radio Mitre and Channel 13
Canal 13 (Argentina)
El Trece is an Argentine television network and the flagship station of the same network, located in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.- Foundation :...
, in 1990, Multicanal Cable TV in 1992, and other stations and magazines. She extended the partnership with La Nación by leading Clarín into a joint wire service
Wire Service
Wire Service is an American drama series that aired on ABC as part of its 1956-57 season lineup.-Synopsis:Wire Service focuses on three reporters for the fictional Trans-Globe wire service, which was similar to real-life news wire services such as the Associated Press and United Press International...
, Diarios y Noticias (DyN), in 1982, and into a holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
in 1997, Cimeco S.A., which obtained majority stakes in numerous regional newspapers (notably Los Andes
Los Andes (newspaper)
Los Andes is an Argentine daily newspaper published in the city of Mendoza. The newspaper was founded in 1883 by Adolfo Calle. In September 1995 it became the first Argentine newspaper to become available on the internet....
of Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
and La Voz del Interior
La Voz del Interior
La Voz del Interior is a daily Spanish language newspaper edited and published in Córdoba, capital of the province of Córdoba, Argentina and the second-largest city in the country...
of Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
). Controlled by Mrs. Noble and the paper's longtime directors, Héctor Magnetto, José Antonio Aranda and Lucio Rafael Pagliaro, Grupo Clarín was established from these holdings in 1999 as the most important media conglomerate in Argentina.
These successes were accompanied by numerous controversies surrounding her personally, however. She has maintained a long-standing probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
dispute with Roberto Noble's only offspring, Guadalupe Noble, who was born in 1958 during his marriage to Guadalupe Zapata. Mrs. Noble has settled part of the dispute with Guadalupe Noble, though the matter of the controlling stake in Grupo Clarín remains pending.
Mrs. Noble was detained in December 2002 by order of Judge Roberto Marquevich following a lawsuit filed by the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo
Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo
The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo is a human rights organisation with the aim of finding the babies stolen during the era of the Argentine dictatorship known as the "Dirty War" . Its president is Estela Barnes de Carlotto....
alleging that the two infants she adopted in 1976, Felipe and Marcela, should submit DNA samples on the possibility that their biological parents may have been abducted by the last dictatorship during their Dirty War
Dirty War
The Dirty War was a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1976 until 1983. Victims of the violence included several thousand left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers, either proved or suspected...
against dissidents. Her request to deny the samples was ruled in her favor in June 2008, though the case remains in litigation. On October 17, 2009, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner , commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner is the 55th and current President of Argentina and the widow of former President Néstor Kirchner. She is Argentina's first elected female president, and the second female president ever to serve...
proposed the compulsory submission of DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
samples in cases related to crimes against humanity, in a move lauded by the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, but excoriated by opposition figures as a political move against Mrs. Noble amid the controversies between Clarín and Kirchnerism
Controversies between Clarín and Kirchnerism
The Argentine media corporation Grupo Clarín and the government of Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner have been involved in a number of controversies since 2008...
that first arose in 2008.
Similar motives are alleged by the opposition against the presidentially sponsored Media Law, which would restrict the number of media licenses per proprietor and allocate a greater share of these to state and NGOs, thereby limiting the influence of the Clarín Group. The hitherto cordial relations between Mrs. Noble and Kirchnerism
Kirchnerism
Kirchnerism is a term used to refer to the political philosophy and supporters of Néstor Kirchner, president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, and of his wife Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President from 2007...
was further strained by a federal lawsuit filed by the executive branch alleging that the 1977 purchase of Papel Prensa had been illegally arranged.