Final Conclusions on Juarez Femicide Reporting

The murders of thousands of women (femicides) in Ciudad Juarez have been happening for over a decade. In March of 2008, that number was 500. Today scholars estimate that number is in the thousands. Since the recent crisis of the narco war continues to receive a lot of international and local press, it is important not to forget the issue of the femicides and how they tie into the broader context of the social, political and economical issues at the U.S.-Mexico border. The media has always played a crucial role in informing the public about crime and violence, and, in this region, this reporting is also vital to the exposure of the issue, as women’s voices are not traditionally recognized in international conflicts.

Based on the research that I conducted in my paper I learned that the femicides of women in Juarez, Mexico happen too often, and I believe that the media has a duty as storytellers to help spread awareness on this issue accurately. While media coverage on the issue is apparent, the portrayals and descriptions of each case do not seem to do the victim’s justice. The literature review on this topic should be used as a model of what can be done in the future to aide in the advocacy of women’s voices in international conflict, but especially in the realm of femicide. Although it is admirable that journalists put their lives on the line to provide such coverage about the femicides, the victim-blaming, sensationalism and stereotyping that is coming out of these stories should be re-evaluated from an ethical journalism standpoint.

When you are a journalist, it is your duty to get the story right and share its importance and value with the community. To alter a story in an effort to shock people or to garner attention is dangerous and dishonest to the entire profession. Media coverage on this topic is extremely important, as it is common that the women in this region that are abducted are from low socio-economic backgrounds, and when looking at the patriarchal structure, the murders of women and the inaccurate media reporting on the issue, we see a consistency of voices being left behind and of truth being smothered—similar to what is happening to the women of Juarez.

We need advocates to share the truth on femicide, not only in Juarez, but across the world. One of the strongest tools to aide in this discussion is media. As discussed before, the media has the power to not only shed light on this issue but apply pressure to international and national political figures who must have some stake in wanting to protect the lives of women—which is exactly what is missing from this discussion.

If you are interested more in this topic, here is a great resource. I visited this organization when I was in Juarez in 2007.