The podcast “Los Niños del Narco” is part of a larger awareness-raising action through content.
In today’s dynamic world, the ability to tell stories has a transformative power, especially when it comes to sensitive and relevant topics for society. Such is the case of the new podcast “Los Ninos del Narco”, by Rainbow Lobster, which is the decentralized collective of free thinkers founded by Sebastián “el Pana” Arrechedera, with the aim of raising awareness in Mexico and turning its attention to this serious problem. .
We must mention that the podcast format has become popular in recent years, although it is not new, and refers to an audio piece with a defined periodicity and continuity that can be downloaded on the Internet. According to data from Grand View Research, the value of this market worldwide was around eleven thousand 500 million US dollars at the end of 2020. It is expected to grow in the coming years to exceed 94 thousand 800 million dollars in 2028.
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According to data from Statista Global Consumer Survey, Sweden ranks first in podcast consumption, with 47 percent of respondents saying they have listened to at least one podcast in the last 12 months. In addition to this country, only Brazil and Ireland have more than 40 percent of participants who are fans of this format.
New podcast “The Children of Narco”
In an exclusive interview with Sebastián “el Pana” Arrechedera, founder of Rainbow Lobster, he mentioned that the new podcast “Los Niños del Narco” is projected, which addresses the problem of children and adolescents recruited by organized crime in Mexico, and that it was born with the intention of not letting a crucial study be archived and forgotten.
“The origin of this podcast dates back to an invitation I received from my friends Saskia Niño de Rivera and Mercedes Castañeda, founders of Reinserta, who asked me for support to disseminate a study titled “Children and Adolescents Recruited by Organized Crime ”. “My biggest fear at the time was that the study would become another report ignored by legislators and society in general,” she mentioned.
Given that, the creative mentioned that the idea arose to take these stories directly to the public. Therefore, he explained that the proposal to create a podcast was an innovative way to make the voices and experiences of these children heard first-hand. We decided this would be a powerful way to raise empathy and awareness about the difficult situation they face.
As I delved into the more than 60 stories collected, one in particular caught my attention and became the basis for the first season of the podcast, titled “Tacita.” “This story follows the life of a young man nicknamed “Tacita,” whose intense and unique experience provides a vital perspective on the impact of recruitment on the lives of minors,” he stated.
Likewise, Arrechedera explained that the production of the first season took a year of work, and in total, two years of research and development. “Although we do not yet know how many seasons the project will have, we are initially planning 10 episodes for the first season, with the possibility of expanding depending on the public response and the evolution of our investigations,” he added.
In that sense, he explained that the podcast will be available on all major streaming platforms, including YouTube. “While episodes will be available on YouTube two weeks after release on other platforms, we want to make sure the content is accessible to as many people as possible,” he said.
As part of an impact project, “el Pana” stated that part of the monetization of the podcast will go to Reinserta, to continue supporting children in contact with violence and recruited by drug trafficking.
“As a former member of the Reinserta Board of Trustees, I am deeply committed to this cause, and we believe that this podcast will not only generate awareness, but also funds to continue helping these children,” he said.
Podcast promotion strategy
In that same order, the creative explained that to promote the podcast, they have implemented a campaign on social networks and a press conference at the Vasconcelos Library, in Mexico City, where they revealed the use of actors in some episodes to preserve the identity of the minors. Additionally, they launched the hashtag #NoMásInfanciasRecruitadas, urging political candidates to commit to this cause, especially in the context of the current electoral process in Mexico.
And this is how this project reflects the power of telling stories, to generate empathy and understanding. “As a creative and storyteller, I have seen how narratives can change perceptions and mobilize action,” he said.
So we see how this podcast is more than a series of episodes; It is a tool to make visible a reality that we can no longer ignore. “I hope that through these stories, we can inspire real and lasting change in our society,” she said.
