Abstract

GONZALEZ MACIAS, Rubén Arnoldo; DIAZ-CERVERO, Elba  and  BARREDO-IBANEZ, Daniel. Reporting under Threat: Violence, Professionalization, and Erratic Modernization of the Mexican Media System. Palabra Clave [online]. 2021, vol.24, n.1, e2411.  Epub Mar 15, 2021. ISSN 0122-8285.  https://doi.org/10.5294/pacla.2021.24.1.1.

A media system deemed modern requires, among other things, the practice of free professional journalism, which has not been entirely possible in Mexico because the growing violence against journalists has emerged as one of the principal obstacles to their job. The aim is to describe Mexican journalists’ responses to the relentless threats and attacks they face based on 93 semi-structured interviews conducted in 23 of the country’s most violent states. Concerning journalism professionalization, the results suggest that violence against the media has two implications mainly. First, the attacks have favored the development of better journalistic practices, such as adherence to data and facts, diversification of information sources, deployment of collaborative coverage, and creation of journalist associations. Second, in a significant number of cases, violence has inhibited press freedom, promoting self-censorship or dependence on official government newsletters. The coexistence of both reactions reveals the fickle nature of the Mexican media system and its modernization process.

Keywords : Journalism; violence; professionalization; modernization; media system; multiple journalism.

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