Towards a Metric for Freedom of Expression. Comparing Three Methodological Approaches to Elaborate Human Rights Indicators

Abstract

This paper presents the methodological framework of a research project financed by the Mexican Government. It operationalizes Inter-American standards on freedom of expression into a matrix of over 50 indicators, in order to evaluate public policies related to this right in Mexico. In the first section we present three methodological approaches to construct human rights indicators: budget analysis, the United Nations indicators and the standard-centered approach. In the second section we apply these approaches to a concrete case related to public advertising in Mexico. In the conclusion, we compare our approaches and draw some conclusions regarding the kind of indicators they can construct, the reliability and versatility of their sources and their adaptability in local contexts. Recently, Mexico has begun implementing the United Nations Media Development Indicators. This paper is our contribution to the debate among the colleagues involved in this process.