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How do mexican journalists interpret and contextualize the news on organized crime that they publish? The amplified subjectivity

Abstract:

Introduction: The notion of objectivity is the cornerstone of the liberal model of journalism. Following that scheme, one of the aims of news stories is to foster citizens' understanding of the world they live in, but this can only be achieved through journalists' vision. In that sense, the aim of this article is to analyze the level of interpretation and contextualization that Mexican journalists deliver when they report on organized crime. Methodology: In doing so, this paper draws on 24 in-depth interviews with news workers who cover this beat across the country. Results and discussion: The findings suggest that journalists do interpret and contextualize the information. This is because they are interested in helping their audiences to better understand this highly complex phenomenon. Although most of the informants said that they separate facts from opinion, they constantly interpret the information by relying upon their amplified subjectivity; which represents the main contribution of this inquiry. Conclusions: The main conclusions suggest that criminals' pressure constrains reporters' freedom to interpret the information they publish. Therefore, despite journalists' efforts, the average Mexican news consumer cannot fully understand the organized crime phenomenon.