Violence Against Journalists and Freedom of the Press: Evidence from Mexico

Abstract

We study how the murder of journalists affects news media in Mexico, using data from a comprehensive archive of news organizations and over nineteen million tweets published by journalists and media outlets between 2010 and 2020. Using a series of event-study analyses, we find reductions in reporting activity among victimized outlets following journalists' killings. This reduction is consistent with self-censorship but the effectiveness of attacks as a censorship tool wanes over time. We also find subtle changes in the tone of coverage. Using census data we show that states with more violence against media saw reductions in the number of active journalists and changes in their demographics. The empirical patterns suggest that selection out of the profession is an important driver of the dynamics. We formalize these ideas in a theoretical framework of news reporting in violent settings.

Keywords: Conflict, criminal violence, news media, free press, journalism