Caught in the Middle: Internal and External Pressures on the Coverage of Organized Crime in Mexico

With 33 journalists killed since the beginning of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidential term in December 2018, Mexico heads the list of the most violent countries for journalists in Latin America—and that of countries not at war. While journalist organizations demand a meaningful protection app...

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Main Authors: Elba Díaz-Cerveró, Daniel Barredo-Ibáñez, Rubén Arnoldo González Macías
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2022-04-01
Series:SAGE Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221094610
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author Elba Díaz-Cerveró
Daniel Barredo-Ibáñez
Rubén Arnoldo González Macías
author_facet Elba Díaz-Cerveró
Daniel Barredo-Ibáñez
Rubén Arnoldo González Macías
author_sort Elba Díaz-Cerveró
collection DOAJ
description With 33 journalists killed since the beginning of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidential term in December 2018, Mexico heads the list of the most violent countries for journalists in Latin America—and that of countries not at war. While journalist organizations demand a meaningful protection apparatus to safeguard their physical safety, official corruption, and criminal impunity continue to escalate the pressures to which media staff are exposed, especially in Mexican states where cartels and criminal groups have the largest footprint. This study aims to precisely identify the pressures, both internal and external, facing journalists who report on organized crime in Mexico. To do this, we drew from the Hierarchy of Influences Model, and interviewed 22 Mexican journalists who work on the organized crime beat in the country’s capital and in the most violent states in the Republic. The results suggest that the most influential forces they face are associated with the organizational level (such as editorial line or institutional censorship), and the extramedia level (e.g., anti-press violence from cartels/authorities, and government advertising contracts).
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spelling doaj.art-8df92d469c8e4be59ab377af4d03e52d2022-12-22T02:08:42ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402022-04-011210.1177/21582440221094610Caught in the Middle: Internal and External Pressures on the Coverage of Organized Crime in MexicoElba Díaz-Cerveró0Daniel Barredo-Ibáñez1Rubén Arnoldo González Macías2Universidad Panamericana, Zapopan, Jalisco, MéxicoUniversidad del Rosario, Bogotá, ColombiaBenemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Instituto de Ciencias de Gobierno y Desarrollo Estratégico, Complejo Cultural Universitario, Puebla, MéxicoWith 33 journalists killed since the beginning of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidential term in December 2018, Mexico heads the list of the most violent countries for journalists in Latin America—and that of countries not at war. While journalist organizations demand a meaningful protection apparatus to safeguard their physical safety, official corruption, and criminal impunity continue to escalate the pressures to which media staff are exposed, especially in Mexican states where cartels and criminal groups have the largest footprint. This study aims to precisely identify the pressures, both internal and external, facing journalists who report on organized crime in Mexico. To do this, we drew from the Hierarchy of Influences Model, and interviewed 22 Mexican journalists who work on the organized crime beat in the country’s capital and in the most violent states in the Republic. The results suggest that the most influential forces they face are associated with the organizational level (such as editorial line or institutional censorship), and the extramedia level (e.g., anti-press violence from cartels/authorities, and government advertising contracts).https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221094610
spellingShingle Elba Díaz-Cerveró
Daniel Barredo-Ibáñez
Rubén Arnoldo González Macías
Caught in the Middle: Internal and External Pressures on the Coverage of Organized Crime in Mexico
SAGE Open
title Caught in the Middle: Internal and External Pressures on the Coverage of Organized Crime in Mexico
title_full Caught in the Middle: Internal and External Pressures on the Coverage of Organized Crime in Mexico
title_fullStr Caught in the Middle: Internal and External Pressures on the Coverage of Organized Crime in Mexico
title_full_unstemmed Caught in the Middle: Internal and External Pressures on the Coverage of Organized Crime in Mexico
title_short Caught in the Middle: Internal and External Pressures on the Coverage of Organized Crime in Mexico
title_sort caught in the middle internal and external pressures on the coverage of organized crime in mexico
url https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221094610
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