The Red Note and its Spanish-language counterpart La Nota Roja were recently profiled by the LatAm Journalism Review in an article analyzing how Latin American podcasts address femicide, systemic violence, and institutional failures.

Released in 2020, The Red Note is a 10-episode investigative podcast series created by director Craig Whitney and producer Estefanía Bonilla Hernández. The project traces the history of femicides in Ciudad Juárez from the early 1990s onward, examining how economic conditions, political corruption, law enforcement failures, and cultural factors have contributed to sustained violence against women. Rather than centering on a single case, the series presents a broader historical and structural view of the crisis.

According to Whitney, the podcast format allowed the creators to approach the subject with a level of depth that would not have been possible in a standalone film. “The podcast explores the causes, the different perspectives, and the evolution of this story during the 25 plus years of femicides in Juárez,” he said in the LatAm Journalism Review article. This approach reflects the project’s emphasis on context, continuity, and multiple viewpoints rather than episodic crime reporting.

The reporting for The Red Note and La Nota Roja was conducted over approximately nine months and involved collaboration with journalists, researchers, activists, and family members of victims. The series incorporates interviews with experts and witnesses, as well as archival material, to document how femicides became embedded in the social reality of the border city. The podcasts were produced in both English and Spanish to reach audiences in Mexico, the United States, and internationally.

Bonilla Hernández emphasized the importance of ethical considerations and cultural specificity in the production process. In the article, she noted the team’s intention to represent the region accurately and respectfully, stating, “I think it’s important that we can share the culture of the border, the personality of the people of Juárez and Chihuahua.” She said that this focus informed decisions about language, tone, and interview practices throughout the series.