The report entitled “The Awakening of a Sleeping Giant?” is based on a survey of 51 media outlets in 27 Mexican states in March 2021.
The research documents the obstacles, opportunities, advances and lags of 32 regional media and 19 digital media. Key media representatives responded to a questionnaire that included questions on the business model, newsroom composition, audience knowledge and company organisation. In addition, interviews were conducted with several media executives to provide qualitative insights into the market data collected in the survey.
“This work contributes to a better understanding of the Mexican newspaper industry, the largest Spanish-language industry in the world,” said Rodrigo Bonilla, Director for the Americas at WAN-IFRA. “The research reveals that the country’s regional press is on the verge of a drastic change in its business model, with a focus on new digital revenues, and is aware of the urgency to transform itself and how complex it will be to do so,” Bonilla added.
The report “shows the immense technological, financial and human resource challenges facing the media in Mexico today,” said Alejandro Martín del Campo Huerta, Director of the Journalism Programme at Tecnológico de Monterrey. “They also reveal the extent to which the executives surveyed are aware that a drastic change is needed in their cultural and business model to adapt to the digital transformation,” says Del Campo Huerta. He also appreciates the fact that the research has brought together the media industry and academia.
“The results of this report are exciting. They are a compass to understand better the needs and challenges of the Mexican market, which will help us offer ideal programmes and solutions,” explained Julieta Shama, News Media Partnerships Lead for Spanish-speaking Latin America at Facebook. “We see how the media ecosystem in Mexico is changing, and we are committed to working with them to strengthen their connection between journalists and their communities“.
The report identifies some key facts about the Mexican market that are essential to understanding its dynamics:
80% of media respondents are either working on a paid content model or plan to do so in the next three years.
85% of respondents believe that their company needs a change in its business model in the next three years.
The newsrooms of the media outlets surveyed have young, gender-balanced teams. However, at the editorial management level, parity is lower.
43% of the media do not have a dedicated team for metrics analysis or data intelligence.
According to interviewees, the lack of specialised talent and not offering competitive salaries are among the main obstacles to their digital transformation.
The report is free to access and is available in English and Spanish on the report’s website.
The report’s key findings will be presented during an open webinar on Thursday, 5 August, at 10:00 CST (Mexico City). To register, click here.
Media Contact
Rodrigo Bonilla, Director, Americas, WAN-IFRA email: rodrigo.bonilla@wan-ifra.org
ABOUT THE TECNOLÓGICO DE MONTERREY. Tecnológico de Monterrey is a private university. It has 26 campuses in Mexico, and 18 branches and international liaison offices around the world. Its educational offer includes a wide range of professional careers, specialisations, master’s degrees, medical specialisations and doctorates in various areas of knowledge. tec.mx
ABOUT FACEBOOK JOURNALISM PROJECT. The Facebook Journalism Project works with news organisations around the world to strengthen the connection between journalists and the communities they serve. It also helps address key challenges facing the news industry. The training, programmes and collaborations it offers work in three ways: 1. Building community through news by working with organisations that invest in quality journalism. 2. Providing training to newsrooms around the world. 3. Collaborate with news outlets and non-profits to address misinformation, advance journalism literacy, fund new initiatives, share best practices and improve journalism on our platforms. facebook.com/journalismproject
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