This analysis, prepared by Fundar Center for Analysis and Research, updates the April 2014 report, “Buying Compliance: Governmental Advertising and Soft Censorship in Mexico”, and covers the period from January 2014 through June 2015. It is one of a series in the ongoing project on soft censorship around the world led by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA). Country reports on Hungary, Malaysia, Mexico, and Serbia were issued in 2014, as well as a global overview, “Soft Censorship, Hard Impact”, written by Thomas R Lansner, who also edited this update and is general editor for the series.
This report is based on ongoing monitoring, analysis, and documentation on the topic of governmental advertising in Mexico performed jointly by Fundar Center for Analysis and Research and ARTICLE 19 Office for Mexico and Central America. It includes analyses of Mexican central government spending on advertising and responses to a series of information requests filed with state governments. It also reflects assessments of how governmental advertising affects media landscapes in various Mexican states, an effort facilitated by the close relationships both Fundar and ARTICLE 19 maintain with journalists, academics, public officials, and local activists.