ABSTRACT
Infotainment is a trend in the news media that introduces aesthetics, topics and news values to journalistic output as entertainment. This is a widespread phenomenon in Mexico as elsewhere, but its characteristics are different due to the antecedent conditions and historical factors involved in its rise, as well as the general conditions of this post-authoritarian country. This chapter explains the origins of infotainment in Mexico and contrasts the hypothesis of commercialization—the one with the most consensus in the literature—with various context-specific factors such as clientelism, reduced journalistic autonomy and the elitist nature of the quality press. A survey of empirical literature allows us to outline the degree and contours of infotainment coverage in the Mexican media, and assess how those distinct factors shape it.
