Findings / Hallazgos
The Observatory’s Press Database is an organized collection of articles published by Mexican press outlets regarding disappearance cases in the states of Coahuila, Guerrero, Jalisco, and Nuevo León, from 2009 to mid-2018. Our research objectives in this study are threefold. Using these articles as well as interviews with journalists in Mexico, this study seeks to complement the Observatory’s previous analyses about disappearances in these four states, learning what we can from press reports about “who was doing what to whom.” We also want to explain the social and political impacts of spot news reporting techniques for disappearance cases. Finally, we used the press database to engage with academic literature to understand which disappearance cases are considered newsworthy and why.
In addition to the statistical analysis of the data (concerning the victims, perpetrators, and the state’s response), two conceptual key findings emerged regarding the nature of the press reports on disappearances. Read the key findings from press reports of disappearance cases
To better understand why the media reported on certain cases and not others, we examined the most highly reported disappearances from each state. Read more about the top five reported events.
Information on our data and an overview of what the data show.
What we observed about the information that was reported on the victims. Read more about what was reported about the victim
While it is known that vulnerable migrant populations are at a high risk of suffering human rights violations, the crimes suffered by individuals pertaining to this group often go unreported. Read more about the disappearances of migrants.
In about 40% of disappearance cases, journalist reported on who was suspected of causing it. Read more about the press's reporting about suspected perpetrators.
We reviewed press reports on the outcomes of these case, where victims were found alive, deceased, or whether the case is still unresolved. Read more about our observations of reporting on the outcomes.