Santa Muerte (“Holy Death”) is a controversial religious figure — beloved by millions in her cult, but condemned by the rest of the world as the motivation for violence and ritual sacrifice. Although most of her devotees are workers, many criminals call her their patroness. Daniel Arizmendi López, notorious for kidnap-for-ransom schemes involving severed ears, was one such devotee, going as far as to bring a figure of Santa Muerte with him to his cell after he was arrested. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
