Have Assaults and Crime Disappear from Chilean Media? Criticism of Political Manipulation During Elections

Original article: ¿Se acabaron los portonazos y asaltos en la prensa Chilena?: Critican la manipulación mediática en tiempos electorales

Users Critique the Media Blackout on Crime Post-Elections: Accusing TV Channels of Fabricating Reality and Instilling Fear for Political Gain

An editorial from ElPeriodico.CL titled «End of Assaults: When Television Channels Fabricate Reality with No Shame» has sparked intense debate by highlighting a sudden and suspicious disappearance of crime from the news agenda following the electoral cycle.

The publication accuses traditional media, particularly television, of constructing a narrative of chaos and fear for months, which was abruptly replaced by “light and pleasant” content without any explanation after the elections.

The editorial points out that during the campaign, viewers were bombarded with a “hypnotic routine: assaults 24/7, robberies, murders, shootouts, the Tren de Aragua as a constant protagonist, with recycled images played repeatedly.” This narrative, lacking historical or comparative context, created the sensation of a «Chile Out of Control«. However, «suddenly, as if someone flipped a switch, that reality vanished from the screen», replaced by lighter news stories about entertainment and gastronomy. «The contrast is shocking and revealing,» asserts the editorial from ElPeriodico.CL.

The article goes further, claiming that this situation illustrates how «insecurity has been used (as always) as a political tool, not just as a news topic. It was managed, amplified, and doled out according to the convenience of the moment.» It criticizes the role of the media, stating that «when everyone decides on the same narrative simultaneously, we are not witnessing editorial coincidence but rather a designed narrative. At that point, information ceases to be public service and turns into covert propaganda.» The most troubling aspect, it concludes, is «the audacity with which social climate is manipulated.»

The editorial poses an uncomfortable question, which according to its author, no one on television dares to ask: «Why did the country seem to be on fire during the campaign and, coincidentally, became more ‘livable’ the day after the election?»

The final reflection targets the responsibility of the media within a democracy, which should oversee power rather than, as suggested in the article, «fabricate realities» and then wash their hands of the outcomes.

One user on social media recalled the comparison of security between the first half of 2024 and 2025: “This year saw a significant drop in violent assaults and carjacking. Don’t be lazy; look for information before you comment.”

Social Media Reaction: Irony and Public Criticism

The criticism has resonated strongly on platform X, where users across various perspectives have ironically commented on the sudden «end» of crime, echoing the central message of the editorial. Posts express distrust and a feeling of media manipulation:

• @p4purrip0p wrote: «And just like that, the assaults, carjackings, migrants at the borders trying to leave the country have all magically disappeared… The misinformation media has finished their job.»

 @Actiniariahexa ironically posted: «How great that assaults and crime are now over in Chile. THANK YOU BORIC!!» and in another post: «Chile looks so nice with Boric. Assaults and crime are gone 😎».

• @tainitoon simply asked: «Have assaults ended?».

• @Gatablanca87 made a controversial historical analogy: «September 12, 1973, all the hidden merchandise appears. December 15, 2025, carjackings and assaults end on TV».

• @Mike_Demonio analyzed: «The channels must have received orders to reduce the level of fear in their broadcasts… It’s clear that carjackings are out of fashion and no longer useful. Welcome to the world of fantasy».

• @JessicaBravoLa2 expressed her indignation: «Miraculously, assaults, thefts, and murders have ended… damn channels!!!».

See also

This discussion places journalism ethics, agenda-setting, and the media’s power to influence the social climate, and potentially political outcomes, at the center of public debate, exposing a deep fracture in public trust towards the information they receive.