Today's article in the New York Times, "Mexico Paper, a Drug Victim, Call for a Voice," relates a sad state of journalistic affairs in Cuidad Juarez. Described by journalist Randal Archibald as "by turns defiant and deferential" El Diario in Juarez is pleading with the local drug lords to tell them what the paper can safely print. The open letter ran the day after the funeral of an intern photographer for the paper. He was 21. The Committee to Protect Journalists has reported that more than 30 journalists have either been killed or disappeared since the drug wars have intensified. More than 28,000 people have been killed.
Although assistant editor, Pedro Torres, says El Diario "will not stop coverage," one can only wonder what the paper can possibly print without endangering the lives of its journalists. At what point does the safety of the reporter outweigh the demands of the story? The public deserves to be informed, but at what cost?
Click on the attached link to read the article in its entirety. Please post comments.
This story is horrifying on so many levels, not the least of which is suppression of the press.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, "the media" gets slammed roundly in the U.S., and is blamed for many contemporary societal ills. One can only wonder if stories such as this one received amplification, if the public would come to appreciate the contributions of the working press.
could not agree more..once again our national ability to criticize loudly corresponds to the social and political freedoms we enjoy and so often take for granted or abuse.
ReplyDeleteironically, i heard this afternoon that the mexican govt said the press will never be censored by the cartels. great stance, but who is going to protect the men and women who put their lives on the line when the govt itself seems to be in collusion with the rampant corruption.
makes me think of the essay we read in "The Elements of Style" and how inextricably linked democracy is with the freedom of its press.