Truth is not for sale

The editorial line of EL UNIVERSAL isn't for sale, it doesn't have a price, and cannot be bought. This is the newspaper's response to the groundless accusations which say the information published in this newspaper responds to the amount of public money received. Yesterday, the American newspaper The New York Times published a n article w here they make these accusations without more evidence than their word against this newspaper which, with a trajectory of 101 years, has been recognized by its plurality as well as its commitment to democracy and freedom of expression.

It's enough to take a look at the pages of the newspaper and the articles on our website to see all political ideologies are being represented. Critics of the Federal Government write for our newspaper and we have never asked them to change their position. There are even some of our own writers who have criticized the coverage of this newspaper regarding certain topics and we haven't changed a single comma of their texts.

This mechanic isn't something new. For decades, EL UNIVERSAL has opened its pages to the opposition in times where it was almost impossible for news outlets to do so. This practice hasn't changed throughout the years and will not be modified regardless of which political party the current administration belongs to, or who the official candidates are.

The amount of money received by this newspaper from government advertising is of public domain – as it is for other news outlets – and anyone can consult it. Those who have been adversely affected by the criticism of EL UNIVERSAL would rather see plots instead of recognizing their own wrongdoings. And some of those who speak in the article of The New York Times know it, because from their own trenches they could be accused of bias and favoritism. They see the straw in their brother's eye, and not the rafter in their own.

With this biased coverage, the American newspaper is being used by people with a political agenda and, in some cases, personal vendettas or jealousy. The New York Times should wonder which interests is it serving by publishing the one-sided and malicious opinions provided by some of its sources.

There is no room for doubt. EL UNIVERSAL completely agrees with the government advertising regulation model. Federal investment in media should be transparent and made according to efficiency and fairness criteria. In addition to that, under no circumstance should it be used as means of censorship. This investment must serve the interests of the State and never as personal or political campaign advertising.

EL UNIVERSAL is the largest news outlet in Mexico with the largest readership both in print and online, according to the monthly reports of the media measurement and analytics company Comscore (a report which has become a standard for the industry) and other companies dedicated to independent media analysis. Why isn't this mentioned as the possible reason behind the amount of money received through government advertisement instead of the alleged bias of the editorial line?

It's easier to accuse without proof. Millions of readers, however, are able to tell between veracity and falsehood.

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