Reporting without confirming
Above all in newspapers, radio and TV, the conditional passes on information that comes from someone else and has not been confirmed. The speaker is saying: That's what they say, I'm not vouching for it. English adds a word for this, such as reportedly, allegedly or is said to; Spanish changes only the verb form.
Fact or report
Indicative - confirmed
El ministro dimitió esta mañana.
The minister resigned this morning.
El sospechoso está en Portugal.
The suspect is in Portugal.
Conditional - unconfirmed
El ministro habría dimitido esta mañana.
The minister reportedly resigned this morning.
El sospechoso estaría en Portugal.
The suspect is believed to be in Portugal.
How it sounds in the news
The sentence often names a source as well, such as según fuentes policiales or según medios locales. The source then carries the responsibility, and the conditional underlines the distance.
Según fuentes policiales, los atracadores habrían huido en una furgoneta blanca.
According to police sources, the robbers are thought to have fled in a white van.
Las dos empresas estarían a punto de cerrar un acuerdo.
The two companies are said to be close to a deal.
El incendio habría causado daños en más de cuarenta viviendas.
The fire has reportedly damaged more than forty homes.
When to use it yourself
In conversation, the condicional de rumor sounds like a newsreader. When speaking, you say the same thing with al parecer, dicen que or por lo visto plus the indicative. Even in the press the form is debated: several Spanish newspaper style guides advise against it and ask for según or al parecer instead.
Press and conversation
News
La pareja se habría casado en secreto en Ibiza.
The couple are reported to have married in secret in Ibiza.
Among friends
Por lo visto se casaron en secreto en Ibiza.
Apparently they got married in secret in Ibiza.
