How InSight Crime Chooses What to Cover

Covering the dynamic and pressing issue of organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean involves making tough decisions about which stories to pursue out of an ocean of possibilities. Each day, our news monitoring process regularly collects hundreds of news articles from across the region. Additionally, our network of regional journalists keeps in contact with primary sources who inform us of changes in criminal dynamics.?

We discuss the major events, hear pitches from our investigators and collaborators, and whittle down the story ideas to a shortlist. For a story to be considered, it must have clear links to the Americas and organized crime.?

The strongest story ideas will involve a major criminal event or highlight a new criminal trend. We also look for opportunities to shine a light on lesser-explored parts of the Americas, such as our work investigating the Surinamese trafficker Brian Blue. But for a story to make it into our coverage, it will always be a topic where we can add value for our readers.?

A big part of our added value comes from our original reporting. Our investigators regularly conduct field research across the Americas. These trips drive our in-depth investigations, like our seven-part report on the destruction of the Bolivian Amazon, but they also inform our day-to-day news coverage. For example, following the capture of El Mayo, InSight Crime visited the Mexican state of Sinaloa and interviewed members of both rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, the Chapitos and the Mayiza.?

Another way we add value is by providing context and history to the stories that shape the news. In our coverage, we explain the significance of criminal events and how the news stories relate to historical trends or regional crime dynamics. In Ecuador, where a chaotic explosion in violence continues, InSight Crime analyzed the drivers of conflict , identified the presence of local gangs and foreign criminal groups and analyzed the government response to the insecurity.?

We also look for new ways to tell stories from the region. This year, we used illustrations and audio to tell the story of Operation Trueno , a Venezuelan state security force crackdown mired with human rights abuses. We also continued our data-driven story series, DataInSights , and we launched the InSight Crime Podcast , where we unpack complex crime topics and hear the voices of those at the center of our stories.??

To keep up to date with InSight Crime’s latest stories and analysis, visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter .