' This is an informational research project summarizing the uses of new media for the greater good during Mexico's Drug War.
Mexico's Use of New Media[edit | edit source]
The use of social networking websites in Mexico (Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc.) are rapidly becoming primary sources of information and protection due to the violence and fear instilled by gangs involved in the Mexican Drug War. Individuals with internet access have taken it upon themselves to make up for Mexico's weak press and government and avidly use their Twitter accounts to warn others about crime-related instances in local areas. There are an increasing amount of crime-focused Twitter accounts that act as types of watch dogs- their sole intention is to keep a lookout and publish information that would otherwise never surface. The people of Mexico use new media as a form of protection from the gruesome violence that has been taking place within the last five years.
Twitter and the Greater Good[edit | edit source]
Areas of Mexico affected by the War on Drugs uses Twitter as a type of protection- Twitter posts usually warn others of recent incidents, places to avoid and things to be aware of in hopes of informing others. Some claim to trust Twitter more so than they trust the news, and this could be due to the monopoly that the two major news companies, Televisa and TV Azteca, has over the press. In addition, the Mexican press has a history of bias in terms of what information is disclosed, and this is widely known throughout Mexico. Still, because internet penetration is still developing throughout the country, Televisa and TV Azteca become last resorts. In 2011, the Veracruz State Assembly made it a crime to use Twitter and other social networks to "undermine public order", but this hasn't stopped users from exchanging information. Some young adults with internet access even show their parents and grandparents how to surf the internet and use Twitter to protect themselves and keep updated. Twitter's impact on the Mexican Drug War has been highly successful in recent years, and new media has demonstrated a positive impact on the people of Mexico.
"Blog del Narco"[edit | edit source]
- Blogdelnarco.com has been documenting and publishing the violence of the Mexican Drug War since 2010. It has built its reputation as the "go-to" website for all the details that are not otherwise published, given that the Mexican government continuously denies that anything is happening. The undercover author of blogdelnarco.com was recently identified as a young female journalist in her mid-twenties and is a target of both Mexican drug cartels and the Mexican government. However, the information that she reveals is absolutely imperative- drug lords themselves will read the blog to keep updated on which areas have been impacted by violence. Some gangs even submit their own photos and stories to the blog in hopes of instilling fear in the public and threatening the journalist, but she remains dedicated to publishing as much of the truth as she can. In 2010, she published "Dying for the Truth: Undercover Inside of Mexico's Violent Drug War", which covers a full year of murders and atrocities in Mexico. The book was translated to English, which can reach a much wider audience and can invocate awareness of the issue on an international level.
External links[edit | edit source]
- The Guardian: "'They stole our dreams': blogger reveals cost of reporting Mexico's drug wars" [1]
- The New York Times: "Mexico Turns to Social Media for Information and Survival" [2]
