Cartels, Crime and Coverage: How the Media Portrays Mexico's Drug-Related Violence

In this lecture, we will unpack how the media — in national newspapers such as The New York Times and El Universal and through alternative media like Twitter in both in Mexico and the United States — frames and portrays drug-related violence and related issues like gun trafficking. We will examine how drug-related violence and gun trafficking are framed as social problems in Mexico, while “spillover violence” is often portrayed in the U.S. as a moral panic.

Instructor Omar Camarillo graduated from Texas A&M with his Doctorate in Philosophy in Sociology, with an emphasis in Crime Law, and Deviance. He has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in sociology from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. His areas of expertise are in drug trafficking organizations, drug related violence, gun trafficking, human trafficking, drug trafficking and gangs.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

Register

Register by Wednesday, May 13, at 3 p.m.