Resistiendo el clientelismo. Publicidad gubernamental y subsistencia de la prensa crítica

Abstract

Clientelism is one of the most widely used strategies in hybrid regimes which give rulers an advantage when they play against the opposition. The literature on the subject has focused on electoral clientelism, but we know little about the dynamics clientelism uses to control the critical sector of the communications media: does investing more money in governmental publicity necessarily lead to a more docile press? On the basis of an analysis of the front pages of the main state newspapers in Mexico, this article shows that the effectiveness of clientelism in silencing a critical press is relative and that it is conditioned by the presence of the political opposition, which acts as a strategic ally of the press in scenarios of clientelist control.

Keywords

• Thesaurus: freedom of the press; local press; public information. Author: Mexican media; clientelism