Imagen de México en la prensa francesa, 1994-1998

This essay quantitatively and qualitatively analyzes the information published about Mexico in the French press between 1994 and 1998. It is divided into six sections. In the first, the author analyzes the importance of the mass media in a society’s perception of a foreign culture, as well as on the preservation of certain stereotypes. In the second, he examines the French picture of Mexico in the postwar era. In the third, he studies the Mexican presence in French newspapers between 1994 and 1998, and in the fourth, analyzes this presence thematically: coverage of the conflict in Chiapas, the political and economic situation, culture and tourism. The fifth section glances at Mexico’s presence on French television. In the sixth and last section, Bruno Figueroa reflects on the difficulty encountered by the media in avoiding stereotypes.