This article analyzes and compares the coverage provided by two prominent newspapers on two corrup­tion cases, one in Portugal (the Freeport case in Diario de Noticias) and one in Spain (the Palma Arena case in El Pais). The goal is to know the parameters of newsworthiness of political corruption and to ensure that its coverage is con­sistent with the principles of relevance, visibility and framing as they relate to customization and sensationalism of po­litical news. For this study we rely on the principles of “agenda setting” and “prim­ing”. And, we apply the methodology of content analysis to understand the intent of what the media convey to the public. The results show that political corruption assumes a very high media visibility in both newspapers, though it is especially critical in the newspaper El Pais and more moderate in Diario de Noticias.