ABSTRACT
The web is a highly unregulated space where users can maintain complete anonymity, and it is nowadays highly accessible to everyone with internet access, including terrorists and criminal organizations. Research exploring the use of social media platforms in Mexico has not emphasized the fact that the communication outlets provide major opportunities for drug cartels or criminal organizations to engage in public relations strategies, ease their recruitment tactics, send threatening messages to government authorities and civilians, and warn off potential rivals. In order to block the criminal organizations from taking advantage of the media exposure, 715 Mexican media channels signed an agreement in 2011 to censor reports about the drug war and to follow particular editorial criteria when informing the public about organized crime–related violence. This chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
