Creating Folk Devils Street Gang Representations in El Salvador’s Print Media

In 2003 the Government of El Salvador launched Plan Mano Dura ostensibly to curb street gang activity. The timing and content of this suppression-focused measure suggested that it had been primarily designed to afford the ruling conservative party an electoral advantage over its main opponent, rather than to curb gang delinquency and violence. The initiative proved popular with a population tired of chronic insecurity, but it was widely condemned for its neglect of rightsrespecting policing, prevention, and rehabilitation. The criticism, however, was as ineffective as the gang policy itself. As suppression remained the dominant strategy, the homicide rate spiraled and the gangs became more structured and criminally-involved. This article reports the findings of a qualitative content analysis of gang-related coverage by El Salvador’s two leading newspapers and shows how the media were complicit in amplifying the gang threat and promoting a counterproductive policy.