The Case of Mexico
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The Role of the Printed Press in the Process of Democratization: The Case of Mexico by Daniella Levy-Pinto A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy Political Science University of Toronto © Copyright by Daniella Levy-Pinto 2017 The Role of the Printed Press in the Process of Democratization: The Case of Mexico Daniella Levy Pinto Doctorate of Philosophy Political Science University of Toronto 2017 Abstract This work addresses the gap in the media and democracy literature on Mexico’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 press’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 ii legislation, as well as the connections between opinion-pieces’ 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. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank the members of my thesis committee: my supervisor, Judith Teichman, provided invaluable intellectual guidance, patience, and insightful recommendations that made my dissertation far more superior than it would have been without her expertise; she shaped my writing abilities and helped me find my own voice. Ana María Bejarano’s encouragement was fundamental; her interest and engagement with the methodology I was using stimulated a deeper exploration of framing analysis; her warm and friendly support went beyond her duties as a member of a thesis committee. Edward Schatz provided meaningful feedback, and engaging conversations about the broader implications of my research. I would also like to thank my external readers, Jacques Bertrand and Roderic Ai Camp, for their comments and thought- provoking questions. To all my interviewees in Mexico City, I am grateful for their time and for their testimonies and insights, which were deeply illuminating for my analysis. I would like to thank Raúl Trejo Delarbre for his generosity in sharing his knowledge, Jesús Silva-Herzog Márquez, Luis Rubio, Daniel Moreno, and other people with whom I met during my field work in Mexico City in 2011 for their help connecting me with other interviewees. Thanks to El Universal newspaper for granting me access to their archive in Mexico City. At the University of Toronto, I would like to thank the Department of Political Science and the faculty members with whom I took courses and for whom I worked. I am also thankful to the administrative staff, especially Joan Kallis in my earlier years in the program, and to Carolynn Branton, who was tremendously helpful to navigate the various requirements, forms and deadlines. I would also like to acknowledge the financial support I received from the Department of Political Science, the School of Graduate Studies, and Accessibility Services at the University of Toronto, as well as the Government of Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT). I am thankful for the assistance that I received from Accessibility Services and especially for the help of the staff at Robarts Library, who scanned many books and made them available in an accessible format. Sambhavi Chandrashekar supported me by converting printed material into a digital format that I could read. Special thanks to Ericka Cottier for her support while editing and iv writing, but above all, for being a great friend who spent countless hours working with me, providing sighted assistance that gave me access to information that otherwise would not have been accessible to me. Thanks to Colette Stoeber and Carolina Alfaro for copy-editing, and to Jennifer Jeffs for her detailed feedback. I was very fortunate to have friends and colleagues who provided invaluable support throughout the years of my graduate studies. Among them, I would especially like to thank Olga Kesarchuk, Teresa Kramarz, Sude Beltan and Gustavo Carvalho, for their constant support in easy and difficult times. Thanks as well to Suzanne Hindmarch, Rebecca Sanders, Patricia Greve, Elliot Storm, Kate Korycki, as well as to colleagues of the Latin American Studies Seminar. Many people I value personally and professionally also helped me throughout this journey providing support and encouragement: Teresa González, Consuelo Solar, Claudio Muñoz, Sharon Zikman, Paula Huber, Sheyfali Saujani, Xisela Franco, and my colleagues from Walk Toronto. My eternal gratitude to my parents, who always believed in me, and supported all of my personal and professional goals. I dedicate this dissertation to the memory of my father, Samuel Levy- Pinto; he taught me the pleasure of research, and always encouraged and celebrated my desire to learn; his love, his ethics and his values are still an inspiration. I am thankful to my mother, Gabriela Lebrija, for her unconditional love and for being by my side ready to help every time I needed her. Thanks to my siblings and all my family for their support and for being there. I am thankful for the lessons and the knowledge that I obtained from Jaime González Graf, a tireless promoter of democratization in Mexico, with whom I had the privilege of working. My life partner, Jesús Calderón, was instrumental to my success. He encouraged me since the PhD was just a plan; he listened to me think out loud about this thesis, read several drafts, and even developed macros to make some functions in Excel accessible through my screen reader. He has been an endless source of support and inspiration. Without him, this dissertation would not exist; the word thanks is an understatement to express my gratitude. Finally, I would like to thank my three guide dogs which were part of this process: Roger, who accompanied me in the transition from Mexico City to Toronto and led me to my core courses; Luke, who guided me to all the interviews, and sat patiently by my side while I wrote this dissertation; and Angelo, who as a young guide dog kept me busy as I made the last revisions to my thesis. v Table of Contents Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................x List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 Chapter 2 Theoretical Framework and Methodology ....................................................................24 Chapter 3 Mexico’s Transition to Electoral Democracy ...............................................................56 Chapter 4 The Mexican Press and Opinion-Makers ......................................................................92 Chapter 5 The 1996 Electoral Reform: A Definitive Step towards Electoral Democracy and Alternation in Power ...............................................................................................................138 Chapter 6 The 2007 Electoral Reform: Contentious Changes in a Context of Polarization........181 Chapter 7 General Conclusions: The Press and Democratization – Lessons from Mexico ........226 References ....................................................................................................................................245 Database of Opinion Articles .......................................................................................................265 Appendix ......................................................................................................................................291