This book explores and explains how traditional and alternative media have framed the issues of gun trafficking into Mexico, drug-related violence, and spillover violence. It reveals how gun trafficking and drug-related violence are social problems for Mexico, while spillover violence is portrayed as a moral panic for the US.
Readers will gain a better understanding of how the media portrays and frames the criminal activity that is occurring in Mexico and how it impacts the US. The book analyzes national newspapers from both sides of the US–Mexico border—The New York Times and El Universal—and draws on a theoretical framework of moral panics, social problems, and cultivation theory. It reveals six framing devices, "the blame game," "worthy and unworthy victims," "positive aspects," "negative aspects of gun trafficking," "indirect mention of gun trafficking," and "direct mention of gun trafficking," which are utilized by The New York Times and El Universal to discuss and frame the issue of gun trafficking into Mexico and its impact on Mexico’s border violence.
Mexico’s Drug-Related Violence will be of great interest to students and scholars interested in the perception of media and crime, as well as those researching the topic of drug cartels and drug-related violence.
1 Introduction
2 Media and Sociological Theory: Framing, Agenda Setting, and Cultivation Theory
3 From Social Phenomenon to Social Problem: The Obama Administration
4 Spillover Violence, the Coming Invasion: A Moral Panic
5 Social Problems and Moral Panics During the Trump Administration
6 Conclusion
Epilogue
Biography
Omar Camarillo is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Eastern New Mexico University. He earned his PhD in Sociology, with a major emphasis in Crime, Law, and Deviance and a minor emphasis in Sociology of Culture from Texas A&M University. His research interests include drug trafficking organizations, gun trafficking, drug trafficking, human trafficking, drug-related violence, spillover violence, gangs, media and crime, deviance, critical criminology, war crimes, and popular culture.
