Mexican Watchdogs

The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s

Andrew Paxman

$277

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

The University of North Carolina Press
28 October 2025

Media studies; Ethnic studies; Political structure & processes

In the first narrative history in English of Mexico's contemporary press, Andrew Paxman recounts the evolution of print media between the

98 s and the present. From widespread subservience towards authority to playing a watchdog role as the country democratized, Mexico's media underwent drastic changes in its roles and functions.

Paxman also traces how the media responded to outright state hostility and major threats to its existence, including a war on drugs that made Mexico the riskiest country for reporters outside a combat zone, a decline in revenue as readers and advertisers migrated to the internet, a partial return to government cooptation. Based on interviews with

8

current and former journalists and extensive research in newspaper libraries, Mexican Watchdogs interweaves critical analysis with the stories of key reporters, editors, and publishers as well as the trajectories of Mexico's leading print and on-line media.

By: Andrew Paxman
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 25mm, Spine: 155mm
ISBN: 9781469684970
ISBN 10: 1469684977
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 28 October 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Andrew Paxman is research professor of history and journalism at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE) in Mexico.

Reviews for Mexican Watchdogs: The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s

""Andrew Paxman provides unparalleled geographical, biographical, and temporal depth to the history of press resilience in Mexico in this definitive account of the ongoing struggle to hold authority accountable and sustain public trust."" --Martin Echeverría, editor of Media and Politics in Post-Authoritarian Mexico: The Continuing Struggle for Democracy ""Paxman, with firsthand experience in Mexican newsrooms, crafts a multilayered story of the media navigating the country's turbulent transition from single-party rule to a fragile democracy. Rich anecdotes and academic rigor bring nuance to the complex relationship between the press, politicians, and powerful economic interests.""--Mireya Márquez Ramírez, coeditor of Media Systems and Communication Policies in Latin America ""Set against the landscape of powerful private monopolies, the ascendance of the internet, and violence against reporters, this highly readable story of the inner workings of Mexico's major media institutions and contemporary journalism will resonate far beyond Mexico."" -- Vanessa Freije, author of Citizens of Scandal: Journalists, Secrecy, and the Politics of Reckoning in Mexico