The Contribution of the News Media to the Rise of a “Populist Regime” in Mexico
The rise of a populist regime depends heavily on the favorable coverage of its electoral campaign and policies by the news media. Assuming this is true, it is appropriate to ask the following questions: How much have the news media in Mexico contributed to the electoral triumph of MORENA and the rise of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), its “populist leader”? Is it accurate to argue that they have become crucial factors for this outcome? Through archive research and content analysis of core national newspapers, the present paper will test this argument of the crucial role that the news media in Mexico have played to encourage the rise of a “populist regime” in this country. Once this purpose may be accomplished, the present paper will also discuss the kind of constitutional framework that would be necessary for the news media, so that it may effectively encourage the process of democratization, instead of strengthening the rise of a “populist” regime in Mexico.