HUMANIST
His relationship with the press
Those who lived with him recall that, immediately after waking up, after praying and reading the Bible, Luis Valls would devour no less than seven newspapers. Armed with a pencil and red marker, he would underline the most interesting parts, and during breakfast, he would recite the headlines to his table companions. It is no secret that Luis Valls had a passion for journalism. He clipped several articles every day, eventually creating a valuable personal archive that is still preserved. This archive includes an extensive and meticulously organized collection compiled from any news item, quote, or word that caught his interest while perusing the day’s newspapers. He organized the clippings by topic and referred to them when he had to write a collaboration. That was his other passion.
Opinion Columnist
Journalist Fernando González Urbaneja once asked him1 if he was aware of being one of the few bankers who had ventured with a byline into the opinion pages of newspapers. Luis Valls responded delightedly, expressing his opinion of the press: “I believe that the press is an invaluable communication tool with friends and adversaries alike. Reading the press has replaced the social gatherings at the casino. The reader converses in their own way with the writers. I understand the writer’s work very well, particularly that of the journalist. Their work represents the greatest restraint against political or economic power abuse.”.
With this comment, it is clear that Luis Valls’s fondness for writing in the media was not limited to the opportunity to express his opinion but rather stemmed from a desire for personal growth. This was made evident years later in an article in ABC 2 , where he expressed gratitude for the opportunity the press gave him to be “one of our own”: “I must confess that I have always appreciated the questions from journalists because they have forced me to think, to discuss, and to decide. Entrepreneurs know how easy it is not to decide on things that no one asks about, that no one questions.”
Bibliography
(1) Interview published in El País on December 5, 1976 (2) Article “Banco Popular: Two Years of Dual Presidency” by Luis Valls. Published in ABC on June 10, 1991. Published in ABC on June 10, 1991.
