Drug Wars, Social Networks, and the Right to Information: The Rise of Informal Media as the Freedom of Press's Lifeline in Northern Mexico.

While governmental and organized crime elements have traditionally held sway over media coverage in Mexico, the current shift in relations between actors involved in the country's so-called 'drug war' as well as the evolution in the organizational structure of Mexico's drug trafficking organizations have effectively silenced traditional news outlets -such as newspapers, printed dailies, radios and TV shows at all coverage levels, and public statements by municipal and state representatives. This situation has created an informational 'black hole' regarding the state of affairs in some of the more active drug zones of the country -particularly located in Mexico's northern region. Despite the press control exerted over news media by both governmental and non-governmental elements, current technological advances have allowed for the use of the Internet as a safe haven to broadcast news related to drug trafficking activities from various regions of the country in an uncensored, unrestricted manner through the use of social networks -such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, as well as many blogs, forums, and podcasts. The present paper addresses the issue of limited press freedom in northern Mexico during 'drug war' times. It focuses on the rise of informal media as the freedom of press's lifeline in an environment where the monopoly of violence by the state has been lost in some regions of the country, and taken over by criminal non-governmental agents. The present study analyzes in depth the case of Tamaulipas, Mexico. This case had been overlooked by scholars, political analysts, and the media in general until nowadays, when violence in this state has reached unprecedented levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]