Democracy for Mexican journalists?
December 8, 2007
Journalists in some countries face challenges everyday because of corrupt political system, wars and a lack of freedom for the press, a basic right to Americans, protected in the Constitution. Nearly a hundred journalists have died in the war-torn country of Iraq. But what’s not as well-known is how many journalists have died for what they’ve written in Mexico. Problems for Mexican journalists stem far into their history, facing an uphill battle with shady politicians and corrupt law enforcement officials. But they now face one of their biggest challenges as Mexican Drug cartels fighting over territory spill more blood on the streets.I tried looked to understand the difficulties Mexican journalists face. But as I did my research, I learned that many times, the journalists were not corrupt, nor were they exploring something they weren’t supposed to. They were simply doing their jobs, and it was costing them their lives. Threats and the murders of reporters and television crews are mainly in the northern states of Mexico, on the United States border, but violence toward journalists has spread into other parts of the country, especially Oaxaca, where most of the fighting in the southern areas has occurred.Much of my research relied on newspaper articles from around Mexico and from border cities in the U.S. where the violence is spilling over. Web sites, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Inter American Press Association, provided a lot of background information and ideas they hope will alleviate the situation.
After analyzing the information, I could see that the threats and murders would not change unless more drastic measures were taken to prevent them. A new law enforcement that cannot be bribed or bullied is needed to help the fight against the drug cartels, those who are most responsible for the deaths of journalists and thousands of others. Temporary and immediate asylum into the United States for threatened journalists is necessary to save lives. Finally, newspapers have to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of their staff while they are in their offices, using extra security and, perhaps, planned escape routes.
Read the rest of my report on the attached link: Democracy for Mexico’s Press?
