Sumith Prasad
Netflix’s thriller series ‘The Snow Girl’ revolves around the kidnapping of Amaya Martín, the daughter of Ana and Álvaro. Amaya’s disappearance and the absence of a ransom call shake the city of Málaga. Miren Rojo, an intern working at the regional newspaper Diario Sur, sets out to find the missing girl not only for her parents but also for her own redemption. As the Spanish series progresses, Miren plays a significant role in the kidnapping case, especially after she becomes an editor at Sur. Intrigued by her selfless and resilient actions, we have found out whether the character has a real-life counterpart.
Miren Rojo is a Fictional Character
Miren Rojo is not based on a real journalist. The character was conceived by Javier Castillo for his novel ‘La Chica de Nieve,’ which serves as the source text of the series. First of all, Miren’s workplace Diario Sur is a real-life newspaper company based in Málaga, Spain. Naturally, the viewers can’t be blamed for wondering whether Miren is based on a real-life editor of Sur. However, the character is entirely fictional, just like Amaya and her kidnapping. Castillo named Miren’s company Diario Sur to make the novel’s fictional narrative and characters closer to reality.
One of the important aspects of Castillo’s novel is its exploration of sensationalism in the journalistic sphere. The author attempts to differentiate sensational journalism and “pure” journalism through the character Miren and her professional life. While the major newspapers and their heads consider Amaya’s disappearance a reporting competition, it is only Miren who shows compassion towards the missing girl’s mother Ana. She promises Ana that she will do everything she can to find her daughter as a journalist and sticks to her word even when she is pressured to work for the “numbers” of the newspaper.
Through Miren, both the source novel and show offer a portrayal of an ideal journalist. When Amaya’s kidnappers send the journalist a videotape, she not only doesn’t take advantage of the same by publishing news about it as an exclusive but also does the follow-up putting in a commendable effort. The character’s actions depict how committed and socially responsible a journalist should be. She continuously puts in the effort to find Amaya irrespective of her PTSD. She fights a war against internal and external demons to make progress in her investigation into Amaya’s kidnapping, which leads her to a breakthrough in the case.
Although Miren is a fictional character, she can be considered a representative of dedicated journalists who work in regional newspapers, or any media for that matter for the betterment of their social milieu. The author was inspired by films like ‘Spotlight,’ which is based on a real department of The Boston Globe, to conceive Miren’s storyline. Despite being fictional, Miren is similar to the innumerous journalists, including the ones who formed the “Spotlight” team at The Boston Globe, working tirelessly for their community all over the world. Such a similarity also makes her and her plights seem authentic in the series.
In addition, Miren also represents several real-life rape survivors, who have tirelessly fought their traumas to build an admirable life of their own. Even when her traumas take hold of her consciousness, Miren manages to fight them for the sake of finding Amaya. Regardless of the challenges she faces, Miren finds a way to succeed, which makes her life story a fictional yet inspiring survivor’s saga.
Read More: The Snow Girl Ending, Explained: Who Kidnapped Amaya Martín?
