1. Social Media Becomes the New Front
In Mexico’s Drug War
Jacqueline Matter
Your Affiliation: Senior,
UNC Chapel Hill
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2. Jacqueline Matter Introduction
My Journey into
Journalism & Media
Inspired by diverse aspects of communication
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Born in Tacoma, WA
Grew up in San
Clemente, CA
Interned at News 14
Carolina, WNCN-NBC-17,
WRAL , Cleveland Indians My interest: anything with the
beach
Your Affiliation: Senior, UNC Chapel Hill
4. The Fall of Traditional News
Media in Mexico
• Narco-Censorship – censorship where
reporters & editors are forced to write what
drug traffickers want them to write, or simply
refrain from publishing the entire truth out of
fear of being killed.
• As drug war reaches new heights…so does
their ability to pay off journalists.
“chayote”- payoff to a journalist in exchange
for favorable coverage or no coverage at all.
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5. “You love journalism, you love the pursuit of turth, you love to perform a
civic service and inform your community. But you love your life more.”
– Anonymous Editor from Reynosa
Committee to Protect Journalists 5
http://cpj.org/2011/02/attacks-on-the-press-2010-americas-analysis.php
7. Drug Cartels Infiltrate Social
Media
• “Narcomensajes” – Narcomessages, signs that have been
written by members of a drug cartel shared on social media
that are accompanied by a horrifically disfigured human
being.
• Intended for digital reproduction and communication to
YouTube, Twitter or other social media platforms.
• These messages come during a time when more and more
Mexicans are able to access the Internet, making the spread
of them more prevalent.
• Many cartels have analysts that monitor social media to
track what citizens and journalists are reporting about them.
• Cyber laws are lacking in Mexico, however cartels are
becoming more tech-savvy. As fast as Facebook & Twitter
accounts get taken down, they get put back up.
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8. • Exploiting power
by using Internet
to run public
campaigns,
posting images
with pistols or
elaborate gifts,
and hunting
down targets on
social media.
• “Broly” obtains a
kidnapped victim
who is
blindfolded and
stuffed in the
back seat.
• “They do this to
intimidate and
silence us. But
we are not afraid,
we will continue
to fight.” –
Anonymous News
Source
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9. • Drug Cartels have also been using social media to recruit
new members, specifically teenagers.
• The lavish lifestyle attract them to follow in their footsteps.
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10. Mexican Citizens Combat Drug
Cartels via Social Media
• “Chuy” was one of the first citizen journalists to cover the issue and release it
to the world via social media.
• He has acted as a vigilante by taking to Twitter to inform local citizens of cartel
activity in his town.
• Because traditional media outlets have been silenced by trafficker’s power,
Mexican citizens have taken the initiative into their own hands to stop the
violent acts of narcotic kingpins.
• However;
Their efforts were compromised by the government in 2011 after a law had
been passed in the state of Veracruz that made it illegal to use Twitter and
other social networks that could cause an uproar of public order.
• Why?
A rumor spread via Twitter that gunmen had taken over a local elementary
school and was widely reported through social media. Thus, resulting in chaos
and traffic jams throughout the city and even a death. One citizen tweeted
about it and was even thrown in jail.
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11. “It wasn’t the sight of tortured bodies that scared ‘Chuy.’ It
was what was written on the sign that was left next to them.
‘This will happen to all the Internet snitches.’ It was signed
by Los Zetas.”
- CNN article in regards to “Chuy”
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Source: Therightperspective.org
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Four Videos on
My Research Topic
Title for Video#1: Social Media Becomes the New Front in Mexico’s Drug Ware
(YouTube Video of Nov. 09, 2014)
Web address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtWI1JbSQto
Brief description: This 2:40 minute video features a look at how journalists and
citizen journalists have become victims in the drug cartel’s silencing of the media.
The source: Created by Jacqueline Matter at The University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill
Title for Video#2: Murdered for Tweeting in Mexico (Oct. 27,
2014)
Web address: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29746651
Brief description: In Tamaulipas, one of Mexico’s most violent
states, people use social media to get basic information. The drug
cartels have silenced traditional news media. But the cartels are
now turning their attention to prominent social media users as
well.
The source: Covered by Greg Brosnan for BBC America
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Four Videos on
My Research Topic
Title for Video#3: Two women journalists brutally murdered in Mexico
City (Sep 1, 2011)
Web address:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz-5G3iVGbM
Brief description: Mexican authorities investigated the murder of two
women journalists whose bodies were found in a park east of Mexico City.
The source: teleSur English News Channel
Title for Video#4: Murders of Mexican Journalist Skyrocket ( July 19, 2012)
Web address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n30iE4BHGyo
Brief description: Professor Pablo Piccato speaks about the challenges facing
Mexico’s new president and the freedom of journalism
The source: ColumbiaNews
14. Four Web Sites on
My Research Topic
Title for Web site: Under Threat from Mexican drug cartels, reporters go
silent.
Web address:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/16/world/la-fg-mexico-narco-censorship-
Title for Web Site#2: Road to justice: Breaking cycle of impunity. (Oct 28,
2014
Web address: https://www.cpj.org/americas/mexico/
Brief description: Despite increased attention to murders of journalists,
governments still fail to take action. This report looks at specific numbers of
journalists killed in Mexico.
The source: Elizabeth Witchel, founder of CPJ’s Global Campaign Against
Impunity
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20100816
Brief description: Journalists know drug traffickers can easily kidnap or
kill them – and get away with it. Wilkinson reports on how and why this is
happening.
The source: Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times
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Four Web Sites on
My Research Topic
Title for Web Site#3: Residents turn to social media to fight
Mexico cartel violence. (March 5, 2012)
Web address:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/05/world/americas/mexico-narco-
bloggers/
Brief description: This report features a specific citizen who felt it
was his duty to report on the terror of drug cartels in his city.
The source: CNN
Title for Web site: Drug Cartels in Mexico Now Using Twitter, Facebook as
Recruitment Tool (Dec 02, 2013)
Web address:http://www.latintimes.com/drug-cartels-mexico-now-using-twitter-
facebook-recruitment-tool-135612
Brief description: Drug cartels have been turning to social media to recruit
new members, the majority of them being teenagers. This report looks at
their lavish lifestyle and recruitment methods.
The source: Donovan Longo for LatinTimes
