Paper short abstract:

Construction of the swine influenza epidemic as a state of crisis in Mexico

Paper long abstract:

The aim of my presentation is to explore the way in which the image of the swine influenza crisis was constructed by the Mexican authorities and the popular media. I will be discussing institutionalized reactions to the new sanitary situation, as well as new practices in biopolitics as a response to the epidemic. Moreover, I will raise the question of how the popular media took part in shaping the image of the crises. I will analyze the discourse about this extraordinary state which was produced by both, the Mexican government and the nationwide newspapers. I will take into account the manner in which the very disease, the danger it caused to human beings, the scope of the epidemic, and the threat to the national population were presented. I will describe distinctions in the construction of the crisis in various newspapers which took different sides: supporting or opposing the government policy.