On the 30th of March the body of a 16-year-old female was found dumped in a canal behind an elementary school in Juarez. According to conflicting reports from the Mexican media, her age was estimated as 25 and later as 20-25. It was also stated that the cause of death may have been alcohol or drug related. Sources also say that an entire family was murdered a year ago just 50 meters from the same crime scene.

“In the past, much of the media that supposedly operates independently has omitted a great deal of material concerning the deaths of women in Juarez,” said Ignacio Alvarado Alveraz, who currently works as freelance journalist in Mexico.

In the media’s defense, panelists said that government officials have made it very difficult to obtain the truth by withholding evidence, confusing statistics and providing conflicting results.

“Media authorities are only provided with about 30 percent of the information from cases,” said Alfredo Quijano of Periodico Norte De Ciudad Juarez. “It is a very dangerous situation in Juarez, and many of the reporters are forced to work with bodyguards.”

“We must be very aware to define all the elements that lead to the murders… factors that include a lack of education and the presence of crime, drugs and alcohol.” Said Ignacio Alvarado Alverado Alverez, who currently works as a freelance journalist in Juarez.

When the panel was opened for questions Malu Andrade, a family member of a victim, called for accountability from journalists on the panel and throughout Mexico.

“Why does the media refer to our women as ‘a prostitute was killed’ or ‘a dancer disappears on her way home from work’? Why can’t it simply say, ‘a women who has no education and works to provide for her family was murdered’ and ‘a daughter was kidnapped on her way home later to be found strangled to death’?” Andrade said.

Andrade pointed out that while the media may cover the murders, there is a tendency to stereotype the victims as women who “were asking for what they got”. Implying that they put themselves in high-risk situations that led to their deaths, when in reality the majority of the women are just trying to make a living in conditions that they have little or no control over.

To put it in the words of journalist Cecilia Balli, “We have seen the best and worst of journalism.”

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Megan Gordon can be reached at Gordon.meg@gmail.com