Mexican Watchdogs

“Paxman explica con información, sensibilidad y rigor el papel que el periodismo crítico ha jugado y los ataques que recibe desde el periodismo mercenario, el crimen empoderado y las fracciones gobernantes empeñadas en reconstruir el viejo régimen.”—Sergio Aguayo, Reforma

Translation: “"Paxman explains with information, sensitivity, and rigor the role that critical journalism has played and the attacks it receives from mercenary journalism, empowered crime, and ruling factions intent on rebuilding the old regime.”—Sergio Aguayo, Reforma

“Paxman ushers readers through major moments in Mexico’s recent media history and provides insights into the rise and fall of important outlets. He writes in a highly readable style that will be accessible to anyone interested in the recent history of Mexico’s press.”—NACLA

“This book succeeds both as a historical tour de force and as a timely reflection on the fragile foundations of democratic accountability in Mexico.”—Survival

“Paxman has gifted us an extraordinarily detailed and impeccably written book on the rise (and fall) of Mexico’s free press. Historians, media scholars, and political scientists will use this book as a bible for years to come.”—Benjamin T. Smith, author of The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade

“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

“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

“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