Description
With the rise of drug-related violence in Mexico, Mexican citizens areusing social media to warn fellow citizens and promote intra-nationalcommunication. This research focuses on the public sphere as it relatesto selected social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook andblogs"€ appropriate platforms because social media is transforming thepublic sphere in Mexico, moving conversations from offline to online.The researchers do not focus on one single social or political movement.Instead, the focus is on the broader issue of citizen security in Mexico,how it is being discussed in the public sphere, and how this is changingthe public sphere. With the increase in drug-related violence since 2006,people are obtaining and sharing information about citizen security inMexico through information and communication technologies. Accessto social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.) is transforming the publicsphere as various sectors (civil society, media and the government) figureout how to engage people and create niche networks on these variousplatforms. The decentralized nature of citizen security and disruptionsin traditional communication channels are forcing citizens to seekinformation and discuss these issues online.