Visiting Scholar Andrew Paxman Traces a Turbulent History of Media, Power, and Democracy in Mexico

The story of Mexico's press is, in many ways, the story of its democratization. That's how Andrew Paxman, professor at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE) in Mexico, framed his visit to Stony Brook University.

Hosted jointly by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center and the School of Communication and Journalism, Paxman's two-part lecture series explored the evolution of journalism in Mexico, from its tightly controlled, government-aligned origins to its current struggle for independence amid threats, violence and political polarization.

A British-born historian and former journalist, Paxman lived and worked in Mexico for many years before moving to the United States, where he completed his PhD and taught at several universities. He has since returned to Mexico City, where he lives and teaches, continuing to study the complex ties between the media, politics and democracy.

Paxman, author of Mexican Watchdogs: The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s, joined students, faculty and community members on November 10 for a sweeping historical overview of the country's media landscape. "For much of the 20th century," he explained, "Mexico's press was largely oficialista - pro-government." Newspapers relied on state subsidies, and journalists were expected to reflect the ruling party's perspective.

But by the late 1980s, that started to change. Economic reforms under President Carlos Salinas loosened government control over newsprint and advertising, opening space for independent reporting. By 2000, when the ruling PRI party finally lost power after 71 years, Mexico's freer press had played a crucial role in holding leaders accountable and amplifying opposition voices.

"It was part of a broader democratizing trend," Paxman said, noting milestones such as the rise of Reforma newspaper and the passage of Mexico's Freedom of Information Act.

Paxman's talk on November 11, Mexico's Watchdogs: AMLO, Claudia Sheinbaum and the Press, shifted focus to the present day, where the press faces new and urgent challenges. Despite the democratic gains of the early 2000s, Mexico remains one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. Paxman detailed the risks reporters face from both organized crime and corrupt officials, citing the attacks against investigative journalists such as Lydia Cacho and photojournalist Rubén Espinosa as emblematic of the nation's impunity crisis.

The conversation turned to the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), whose populist rhetoric and daily mañanera press conferences redefined the relationship between government and media. While AMLO campaigned as an anti-corruption reformer, Paxman noted that he often used his platform to attack critical journalists by name. "It's a paradox," he said. "A democratically elected president who constantly questions the legitimacy of the press."

His successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, has continued the daily briefings with a less confrontational tone, but many structural problems remain. Local newsrooms still depend heavily on government advertising, and digital outlets, though innovative, struggle to stay financially viable. Paxman suggested that adopting public funding models like those in parts of Europe could help support independent media while maintaining editorial autonomy.

Across both lectures, students were struck by how closely Mexico's press story mirrors broader global questions about truth, power and democracy. Paxman's research, steeped in decades of archival work and firsthand reporting experience, highlights the courage of journalists who persist in exposing corruption and defending the public's right to know, even when doing so puts them at risk.

Paxman reminded the audience that the struggle for a free press is ongoing. "It's not all bad news," he said. "There are courageous journalists out there doing real investigative work. They fill the gaps others leave behind."

- Lily Miller