The Role of the Printed Press in the Process of Democratization: The Case of Mexico

This work addresses the gap in the media and democracy literature on Mexicoâ s democratization process. It examines the role of a liberalizing and increasingly diverse press in the transition and its impact on the political process once it was freed of political control in the stage of electoral democracy. It investigates the role of opinion-makers in Mexico and delves into the significant difference between published opinion and public opinion. The central argument in this dissertation is that structural factors, specifically economic changes and reforms, relaxed press controls significantly in the 1990s, propelling the incipient liberalization process of the print media. It further argues that once electoral democracy was achieved, opinion articles reflected the existing political polarization, as divisions and disagreements increased among opinion makers. The elitist orientation of the Mexican press is key to explaining the pressâ s propitious role during the democratization process in Mexico, as well as the dynamics of the post-transition period. A key component of this dissertation is a systematic analysis of opinion articles from three national newspapers on the 1996 and the 2007 electoral reforms. Content analysis was based on a model identifying the frame elements, which represent the functions of media frames: diagnose or define problems, explain causes or provide context, evaluate, and prescribe solutions. Identifying frame elements revealed the support or rejection of different aspects of the legislation, as well as the connections between opinion-piecesâ authors and their arguments. Research findings suggest the influence of an increasingly plural and diverse print media is more direct in the earlier stages of a process of transition than during the stage of democratic consolidation. The Mexican case contributes to understanding the role of opinion-makers and print media in developing countries with low press readership in a transition process, in young democracies, and in contexts of political polarization.Ph.D