Strategic Allies and the Survival of Critical Media under Repressive Conditions: An Empirical Analysis of Local Mexican Press

Abstract

Why do some newspapers remain critical in contexts of antipress repression while others do not? It has been argued that aggressions against journalists generate a deterrence effect on the watchdog role of the press. However, evidence of the press remaining critical in hostile environments appears to defy this claim. In this paper, I explore the relationship between violent government repression and the critical function of the press. Using an original data set of local Mexican newspapers from 2011 to 2013, I examine the direct effects of violence on front-page headlines. I find that while repression does deter critical coverage, the ultimate effect is contingent upon the configuration of strategic press allies in the locality, reviewed here as nongovernmental organizations, opposition parties, and newspaper publishers.