This thesis examines Los Angeles Times and La Opinion's portrayal of global gang Mara Salvatrucha from 1990 to 2006 (Los Angeles Times) and from 1992 to 2006 ( La Opinion). Through the use of critical content and discourse analysis, this thesis yields numerical and discursive data that strongly suggests that Los Angeles Times and La Opinion misrepresent Mara Salvatrucha as a Central American gang of "Violent, Criminal, Illegal Immigrants." Los Angeles Times and La Opinion's misrepresentation of Mara Salvatrucha, a Latino subgroup, represents a change of discourse on Latinos in United States corporate news channels. This particular discourse uncovered is anchored primarily by themes of criminality, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violence. The potential policy ramifications influenced in part by corporate news channels and the negative social perceptions they portray, are likely to play out in harsh anti-immigrant, anti-gang, and anti-drug trafficking legislation that would pose a serious risk to the quality of life and democratic safeguards against civil rights and liberties abuses of Latinos in the United States.