During the centennial years of Mexico’s Reform, numerous publications have appeared dealing with virtually every aspect of that important period. In this work the author, a product of El Colegio de México, focuses on the relations between the press and governing authorities from the last administration of Antonio López de Santa Anna to the conservative coup in December 1857.
McGowan identifies three major governmental attitudes toward the press, and he divides his text into three corresponding parts: the Santa Anna years, 1853-1855, characterized by strict control of the press; the four months of radical dominance under Juan Alvarez, August to December 1855, when absolute freedom of the press prevailed; and finally, the period of moderate government under Ignacio Comonfort, December 1855 to December 1857, two years of relative press freedom.
In addition to describing these major relationships between the press and authority, McGowan concludes, among other things, that: there was full freedom of the press when a government changed, and generally at the beginning of an administration press freedom was greater than toward the end; the more secure a government, the greater the freedom of the press; the conservative press wrote only for conservatives who read only the conservative press in order to confirm their views, and the liberals did the same; typically, newspapers did not report the news, but were more interested in interpretation of events.
McGowan begins each of the three major parts of the book with a clear, concise introduction to what will follow, and he includes adequate description of political events to make the press commentary comprehensible. Understandably, the study relies heavily upon the newspapers of the time, but McGowan has made use of other sources as well. Still, excessive reliance on newspapers is risky and can lead to errors.
The volume is enhanced by inclusion of texts of revolutionary plans and press laws of the period, and by a listing of newspapers in Mexico City and in the states, divided according to political orientation. The index, regrettably, does not include the newspaper titles. In all, the book and the author are worthy examples of the quality of El Colegio de Mexico. Prensa y poder contributes to our expanding knowledge of the Reform by clarifying yet another facet of that important era.
