With weeks of planning, AP delivers multifaceted and competitive coverage of Mexico’s presidential election and campaign

By Megan Janetsky, Mark Stevenson, María Verza, Fabiola Sánchez, Sara España, Eduardo Verdugo, Fernando Llano, Marco Ugarte, Matias Delacroix, Ginnette Riquelme, Alexis Triboulard, Fernanda Pesce, Martín Silva, Amaranta Marentes and Christopher Sherman

The election was shaping up to be an unusual one: two women, one of them headed for the presidency of Mexico, with history being made no matter which candidate prevailed. And the AP team was ready — with weeks of planning and brainstorming and logistical maneuvering that would make sure that our platforms and customers would have everything they needed. 

Any election presents difficulties. It’s a set piece that always throws unforeseen random elements at the journalism team. It’s full of people who are trying to persuade you to shade your coverage in one direction or another. And in the end, it’s as much about perspective and context as it is about the developments on the ground. The AP Mexico team proved well equipped for those challenges. 

The team, staffers and freelancers alike, spent weeks working on stories that unpacked the different political, economic, security and social factors influencing the election. As part of a steady, strong and multifaceted flow of stories, they followed the campaigns of the two main candidates — Claudia Sheinbaum and Xóchitl Gálvez. They showed how security has been deteriorating in the country. They delved into the inequality that women face and how it’s one of the main challenges the new president will confront. They traveled across the country and spoke to people to understand the mood of the voters in an election year. From profiles to explainers, photos to video to analysis, they revealed all the complexities of the country that the new president must govern.

On election day, AP people deployed to polling stations, the office, public plazas, and various campaign headquarters to guarantee we had good access and were able to transmit fast. And for the first time, the text team worked on a live blog that was a resounding success. Video coverage, meanwhile, was widely used by major outlets and AP platforms with enviable numbers in response. 

For coverage that was comprehensive, insightful, multiformat and always timely, AP’s Mexico elections team wins Best of AP — First Winner.  

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