La Jornada

La Jornada
Name	La Jornada
Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Broadsheet
Foundation	1984
Founder	Carlos Payán Velver
Political	Left-wing
Language	Spanish
Headquarters	Mexico City

La Jornada is a Mexican daily newspaper founded in Mexico City in 1984. It emerged amid the presidencies of Miguel de la Madrid and Carlos Salinas de Gortari and became associated with intellectuals, activists, and journalists aligned with leftist movements such as those around Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. Over decades it has reported on national politics, social movements, cultural affairs, and international events involving figures like Subcomandante Marcos, Ernesto Cardenal, and institutions such as the United Nations.

History

The newspaper was established by journalist Carlos Payán Velver with contributions from writers connected to Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and editorialists who had ties to Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional figures and earlier dissident currents stemming from the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre milieu. During the late 1980s and early 1990s it covered pivotal events including the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, the negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the 1994 Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, providing reporting alongside contemporaries such as La Jornada's competitors and international outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian, and Le Monde. Editorial staff and columnists included journalists who had previously worked at publications related to Excélsior and cultural magazines tied to Octavio Paz and intellectual circles around El Colegio de México.

Editorial stance and political alignment

The paper is widely characterized as aligned with leftist and progressive positions, often engaging with topics connected to leaders and movements such as Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, EZLN, and labor organizations including Confederación de Trabajadores de México. Its pages have hosted commentary referencing analysts from institutions like Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia and scholars associated with Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, and it has critiqued policies of administrations from Miguel de la Madrid through Enrique Peña Nieto and interactions with parties such as the Institutional Revolutionary Party and the National Action Party. Editorial pages frequently engage with international themes involving Hugo Chávez, Fidel Castro, Barack Obama, and global forums like the World Trade Organization.

Content and supplements

Content spans national reportage, investigative journalism, cultural criticism, and opinion columns by intellectuals connected to Octavio Paz, Carlos Monsiváis, and critics with backgrounds linked to Proceso and Nexos. The paper has printed supplements focused on arts and culture featuring topics related to Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Gabriel García Márquez, and theatrical coverage of companies like Compañía Nacional de Teatro; supplements have also covered science and technology with pieces mentioning figures associated with Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología and international research institutions such as Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Special sections have focused on social movements, indigenous rights mentioning leaders from Chiapas and legal matters involving courts like the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation.

Circulation and distribution

The newspaper is distributed primarily in Mexico City, with circulation reaching other states such as Jalisco, Nuevo León, Veracruz, and regions with politically active readers including Oaxaca and Chiapas. Distribution networks have interacted with vendors associated with longstanding marketplaces like Mercado de La Merced and subscription services that also handle titles such as Reforma and El Universal. Its readership includes academics from Universidad Iberoamericana, activists linked to unions like Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores, and international subscribers interested in coverage of Latin American politics involving Argentina, Venezuela, and Bolivia.

Digital presence and multimedia

The newspaper maintains an online edition and has developed multimedia content parallel to outlets like BBC Mundo and Al Jazeera English, incorporating video segments, podcasts, and photojournalism that document protests, court proceedings, and cultural festivals such as the Festival Internacional Cervantino. Digital efforts have engaged with social media platforms and reporting partnerships with investigative organizations like Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad and collaborative networks similar to International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Multimedia features have showcased photo essays referencing photographers in the lineage of Graciela Iturbide and reports on international summits such as the G20.

Controversies and criticism

The paper has faced criticism and controversy over perceived biases from political actors across the spectrum including members of Partido Revolucionario Institucional, Partido Acción Nacional, and supporters of Movimiento Regeneración Nacional. Legal disputes and public debates have involved journalists, editors, and public figures with ties to institutions such as the Instituto Nacional Electoral and media watchdogs like Article 19. Coverage of contentious events including elections, corruption scandals implicating figures around Carlos Salinas de Gortari and Elba Esther Gordillo, and protest movements has prompted rival outlets like Milenio and Excélsior to publish critiques, while international press freedom organizations including Reporters Without Borders have commented on press conditions affecting its staff.

Category:Newspapers published in Mexico