In an interview with director Craig Whitney and producer Estefania Bonilla Hernández published by Le Chat Magazine, journalist Jacobo Villalobos examines the origins, production process, and thematic scope of the podcast The Red Note, a series that addresses more than two decades of femicides in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
According to the interview, The Red Note examines violent deaths and disappearances of women in the border city of Juárez through a narrative podcast format. The article describes the series as combining public records with firsthand testimony from individuals connected to the cases, including investigators, officials, and family members searching for their daughters. Villalobos characterizes the podcast as addressing crimes that had risked fading from public attention and situates it as a record of events extending across multiple decades.
Whitney explains in the interview that the production approach emphasized analysis over traditional reporting. He states, “We did less journalism work and more analysis of the evidence and the shape of the problem in a systemic way.” This framing is echoed throughout the article, which repeatedly refers to the femicides as the result of interconnected social and institutional factors rather than isolated criminal acts.
The interview details several logistical and emotional challenges faced during production. Among the practical difficulties cited are the remote recording of Lydia Cacho’s narration, the team’s working routines, and the process of scripting episodes. Beyond these, the article describes a critical incident that occurred early in the investigation: during the second day of research, while interviewing staff at the Municipal Institute for Women, the team was caught in a shooting. Whitney describes the experience as a moment that fundamentally altered his understanding of the work and clarified the seriousness of the environment in which the investigation was taking place.
Bonilla Hernández also addresses how this event affected the team’s perspective. She explains that the experience transformed the project from an intellectual exercise into a situation requiring a more personal and ethical commitment. The article further notes the emotional difficulty of interviewing people affected by violence while recognizing the humanity and openness of Juárez residents.
Alicia Fernández, identified as a journalist from Juárez and a member of the production team, is described as playing a key role in establishing trust with interviewees. As a local reporter, Fernández helped facilitate communication with families and advised the rest of the team on conducting interviews in a manner sensitive to the local context. The article emphasizes the team’s effort to balance sharing victims’ stories with avoiding re-victimization.
The interview also addresses how the creators understand the femicides as a systemic issue. Whitney argues that the crimes are linked to corruption, institutional apathy, and broader cross-border dynamics involving actors in both Mexico and the United States. He states that solutions require coordination beyond municipal authorities and include federal and international involvement. Bonilla Hernández adds that addressing the problem also requires challenging deeply rooted views of women as property, framing the podcast as one tool among many contributing to ongoing public discussion.
Finally, the article describes how The Red Note seeks to portray Ciudad Juárez beyond violence alone. The interview highlights the podcast’s attention to daily life, culture, and the aspirations of residents. Whitney states that violence represents only one aspect of the city, while testimony from victims’ families and activists underscores resilience, work, and community identity. Through these elements, the interview presents The Red Note as a project focused on documenting violence while also situating it within the broader lived reality of Juárez and its people.