[Merida Yucatan]

Despite the bad press, this article reports a record number of foreign tourists in Mexico in 2011,
especially from Canada where the press has been especially bad. You may or may not
want to address some incorrect comments posted under the article:
Mexico aims to lure more Canadians after record year - Yahoo! News Canada

 

[Detailman]

This is a post from CBC at approximately the same time as the post referenced above.

Reality Check: How dangerous is Mexico for Canadian tourists? - Ottawa - CBC News

You will note that they bring out the fact (based on statistics from 2000 - 2010) that it is more dangerous to visit China or even Jamaica than Mexico.

According to this article, if you want to split hairs, even Australia is more dangerous based on Canadians being murdered by a factor of 1/1000 (0.269 versus 0.268).

Do people talk about how dangerous it is for Canadians to visit Australia? Personally I have never heard even one comment that suggests that and I know quite a number of people from Australia and I also know a number of people that have moved to Australia. The latest is almost like a granddaughter to us and we are invited to her wedding in April of this year. Everyone raves about Australia!

So you have to balance where you are getting the information from and how reliable it is in representing Canadians. Thjs particular CBC new article expels the myth as to the dangers of visiting Mexico.

 

[Merida Yucatan]

It's good to see the facts coming out ! I wonder what's with all the negative press about Mexico ? It could just be press sensationalism, but it's so constant that I wonder if there isn't some special interest group that wants people to be afraid of all parts of Mexico. Perhaps I sound a bit paranoid...

 

[TundraGreen]

It's good to see the facts coming out ! I wonder what's with all the negative press about Mexico ? It could just be press sensationalism, but it's so constant that I wonder if there isn't some special interest group that wants people to be afraid of all parts of Mexico. Perhaps I sound a bit paranoid...

I don't believe there is any conspiracy. There actually is not much coverage of anything in Mexico. It is just that the press likes sensational stories, because people are interested in reading them. So, most often, news articles about Mexico are run when something sensational happens, and that is usually about the drug violence.

 

[AlanMexicali]

I don't believe there is any conspiracy. There actually is not much coverage of anything in Mexico. It is just that the press likes sensational stories, because people are interested in reading them. So, most often, news articles about Mexico are run when something sensational happens, and that is usually about the drug violence.

Last week in the San Diego local news the sensationalism was slanted towards "warning" spring beakers of the "chances" they will be taking spending their break in Mexico [Cabo, Rosarito, Ensenada, Cancum etc.]. I feel it is not the sensationalism of the news stories and the State Department warnings from the US and Canada that is upsetting the posters here but the tone of it which is Mexico is unsafe for foreigners to visit, period. When even rational citizens tell me I am nuts to move to Mexico I have to believe these stories have an effect beyond rational pessimistic precaution. The thoughts some express here is not that they don't like the bad mouthing Mexico is getting for the violence but they don't like were it is coming from. The ones who do not follow Mexican news reports or understand the randomality of it and WHO is 99% of the time being targeted and for what reasons, and for what purpose it is being done, and we don't know the targets involvement in it any better that the Mexican news does at the time of the incident, most times. Inside Mexico many citizens and politicians are speaking out against it also. This doesn't seem as unfair as the armchair critics sitting at home in the US and Canada telling everyone Mexico is a mess and best be avoided because they read slanted reports too general to be of any value to people living in Mexico and taking precautions accordingly. Just my take on it.

 

[Detailman]

I don't believe there is any conspiracy. There actually is not much coverage of anything in Mexico. It is just that the press likes sensational stories, because people are interested in reading them. So, most often, news articles about Mexico are run when something sensational happens, and that is usually about the drug violence.

That hits the nail right on the head, Tundragreen. It is a long known fact that what sells newspapers is sensationalism, violence, weird stories, gossip, the latest news on famous people, etc.

The every day enjoyable life that most people live and the things that make them happy is boring. That doesn't sell newspapers or magazines.

Someone does a very good deed and it might get a minor blurb. But if a gang member is shot, there are immediately numerous reporters, TV cameraman, etc. all over the scene and you can be sure that will be on the front page of the newspaper and also on the 6 and 11 o’clock news, despite the fact that no-one knows this low level gang member and he has nothing to do with our everyday live.
That is simply way it goes and once people realize that they can judge matters in a different way.

My personal stance is that I never believe all that I read simply because it is in the newspaper. (As an example, note how after some shooting, accident, disaster you can find a different number of casualties in different papers or tv stations. If you start to quote how many people died to others you find out later that the figure you were quoting based on what you read or heard is WRONG! I always wait until the other shoe drops before I start pass on the "statistics" of the story.

 

[mickisue1]

The US TSA and DHS would have no reason to exist, if they could not keep the majority of the population docile and fearful. Much of the work of the State Department is to feed that fear, as well.

It's not just the US, though. Go to the equivalent of a State Department's website, for any other large country. (I'd post a link, but haven't been posting enough). There you'll find dire warnings about the threat of terrorism in the US, along with warnings not to go out on foot at night, and to keep your car doors locked at all times.

What expats have realized, that most people have not, is that living in fear is a choice. One can take precautions and be careful, without cringing every time a shadow crosses their path.

I have offspring who live in countries that are supposedly in unrest. A SIL who lives in one, as well.

People choose where to invest their emotions. Unfortunately, most of them choose by default, not rationally.

 

[FHBOY]

The US TSA and DHS would have no reason to exist, if they could not keep the majority of the population docile...People choose where to invest their emotions. Unfortunately, most of them choose by default, not rationally.

While I can't subscribe to the conspiracy theory portion of your post, it is an excellent post. Thank you.

It would be interesting to see what other countries warn their citizens about when travelling to the USA/Canada. I wonder if USA/Canada get as bashed as Mexico.

 

[Uecker_seats]

This is good news, indeed! People need to be made aware of their surrounding in Mexico, good or bad. If you go over to the Pto Vallarta TA travel forum, there are a substantial amount of regular posters over there that will sacrafice you to Montezuma if you make mention of any crime at all!

 

[mickisue1]

While I can't subscribe to the conspiracy theory portion of your post, it is an excellent post. Thank you.

It would be interesting to see what other countries warn their citizens about when travelling to the USA/Canada. I wonder if USA/Canada get as bashed as Mexico.

If I came across as a conspiracist, then I didn't make my point well.

ANY bureaucracy becomes its own reason for being.

If reporting "credible" threats to the populace is the mission of the bureau, then it will find them.