PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ramírez, A Susana AU - Garibay, Kesia K AU - Payán, Denise Diaz AU - Campos Gática, Victoria AU - Merino Salmeron, Yolanda TI - News coverage of Mexico’s front-of-package food label policy AID - 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-008803 DP - 2022 May 01 TA - BMJ Global Health PG - e008803 VI - 7 IP - 5 4099 - http://gh.bmj.com/content/7/5/e008803.short 4100 - http://gh.bmj.com/content/7/5/e008803.full SO - BMJ Global Health2022 May 01; 7 AB - Objectives To examine news coverage of Mexico’s front-of-package food labelling policy.Methods We used Lexis Nexis to identify newspaper articles that mention the proposed law in four Mexican newspapers representing politically centre-left and centre-right perspectives. We coded for type and valence of arguments, sources and research evidence cited.Results We identified N=361 relevant articles. Coverage of the front-of-package food label policy was primarily news (vs editorial/opinion). While most were neutral in tone, left-leaning newspapers had slightly more positive overall coverage compared with right-leaning newspapers, indicated by publishing more stories in favour of the policy, fewer in opposition, more propolicy arguments and more frequent inclusion of perspectives by government officials and public health advocates. Despite some evidence of bias, there was a general lack of credible opposition to the policy and mention of opponents across newspapers.Conclusions and policy implications The relative absence of food and beverage industry stakeholders in news coverage of the food label policy is unexpected given their documented involvement in prior food policy debates. We discuss possible reasons for their conspicuous absence and lessons for public health advocates around the globe.Data are available on reasonable request.