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Regulation of Speech and Media Coverage of Corruption: An Empirical Analysis of the Mexican Press

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  • Piero Stanig

Abstract

Restrictions to media freedom, in the form of repressive defamation legislation, are thought to affect the amount of information about corruption that the media report. Exploiting variation in regulation of speech across states in a federal country, Mexico, and using a novel data set based on content analysis of the local press, I estimate the effect of lack of freedom on the coverage devoted to acts of malfeasance by public officials. Corruption receives significantly less attention in states with a more repressive defamation law. Instrumental variable models corroborate the interpretation of the negative association between regulation and coverage as a causal “chilling effect.”

Suggested Citation

  • Piero Stanig, 2015. "Regulation of Speech and Media Coverage of Corruption: An Empirical Analysis of the Mexican Press," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 59(1), pages 175-193, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:59:y:2015:i:1:p:175-193
    DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12110
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Djankov, Simeon & McLiesh, Caralee & Nenova, Tatiana & Shleifer, Andrei, 2003. "Who Owns the Media?," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 46(2), pages 341-381, October.
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    4. Miriam A. Golden & Lucio Picci, 2005. "Proposal For A New Measure Of Corruption, Illustrated With Italian Data," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(1), pages 37-75, March.
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    2. Andina-Díaz, Ascensión & García-Martínez, José A., 2020. "Reputation and news suppression in the media industry," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 240-271.
    3. Michael McCullough & Joshua Berning & Jason L. Hanson, 2019. "Learning By Brewing: Homebrewing Legalization And The Brewing Industry," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(1), pages 25-39, January.
    4. Günther G. Schulze & Nikita Zakharov, 2025. "Political Cycles of Media Repression," Discussion Paper Series 52 JEL Classification: D7, Department of International Economic Policy, University of Freiburg, revised Feb 2025.
    5. Jonathan A. Solis & Leonardo Antenangeli, 2017. "Corruption Is Bad News for a Free Press: Reassessing the Relationship Between Media Freedom and Corruption," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 98(3), pages 1112-1137, September.
    6. Heng Chen & Li Han, 2022. "Do the Media Bow to Foreign Economic Powers? Evidence from a News Website Crackdown," HKUST CEP Working Papers Series 202201, HKUST Center for Economic Policy.
    7. Ozerturk, Saltuk, 2022. "Media access, bias and public opinion," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    8. Louis-Sidois, Charles & Mougin, Elisa, 2023. "Silence the media or the story? Theory and evidence of media capture," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    9. Schulze, Günther G. & Zakharov, Nikita, 2023. "Political cycles of media repression," BOFIT Discussion Papers 3/2023, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
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    11. Günther G. Schulze & Nikita Zakharov, 2025. "Political Cycles of Media Repression," CESifo Working Paper Series 11701, CESifo.
    12. Eraslan, Hulya & Ozerturk, Saltuk, 2017. "Information Gatekeeping and Media Bias," Working Papers 17-001, Rice University, Department of Economics.

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