Guadalajara -No one enjoys immunity from organized crime violence in this country, even if they wear a press ID. In fact, especially if they wear a press ID. And though Mexico made crimes against journalists a federal offense almost a year ago, it hasn't deterred the drug cartels in the least.
On Monday the Mexican news group Zócalo, which owns media outlets in several northern states, announced that it would immediately cease publishing drug war news and stories dealing with organized crime, since "there's no guarantee of protection for the robust exercise of journalism." The decision was made by its editorial board, for the "safety of 1,000 employees and their families."
Zócalo publishes newspapers in Saltillo, Monclova, Piedras Negras and Ciudad Acuña in the state of Coahuila.
Last week the group's general director, Francisco Juaristi, was openly threatened in signs left in prominent locations throughout the state. Police say the threats were the work of organized crime, but they don't know who.
Zócalo was not the first media outlet to give up reporting on the drug war. In Tamaulipas state the newspaper El Mañana de Nuevo Laredo did the same thing almost a year ago. Its facilities were the subject of two hand grenade attacks in 2012.
Earlier this month a reporter in Chihuahua was executed, the first of 2013. But dozens of Mexican journalists have been killed in the past decade. The organization Reporters Without Borders says Mexico is the second most dangerous country in the world for the profession, after Afghanistan. It counts at least 80 murdered reporters and editors since 2000.
On Mar. 6 gunmen opened fired on the Diario de Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua state. A local television channel was also attacked. There were no injuries in either incident. But three days earlier an attack against El Siglo de Torreón in Coahuila left one person dead and two injured.
Zócalo's decision so disturbed the power house French newspaper Le Monde that it published an editorial on the subject two days ago. Mexique: un journal cesse de couvrir la criminalité pour la "sécurité" de ses employés. (Also: Le Monde lashes out at Mexico's "spiral of barbarism").
Chihuahua and Tamaulipas states are drug war hot zones, as is Coahuila.
The press under fire in Mexico, by the numbers:
2012: 11 journalists murdered; 207 attacks against reporters, editors and media facilities, up 20% from 2011
2006-2012: 53 journalists murdered and 12 disappeared; 40 attacks against media facilities with firearms or explosive; 870 attacks total against journalists, press employees or media facilities
Apr. 25 - The body of a 22 year old photographer for Vanguardia, a Saltillo, Coahuila newspaper, has been identified. His remains, and those a 23 year old friend, were quartered and dumped in plastic bags on a city street two days ago. No suspects have been identified and the motive is unknown.
June 9 - En 13 años, 84 periodistas muertos y 20 desaparecidos
Crimes against the Mexican press
Guadalajara newspaper hit by grenade attack
Milenio reporter executed in Veracruz
Press crimes become federal crimes in Mexico today, as new law takes effect
Three more journalists killed in Veracruz
Another female journalist murdered in Mexico
A Free Press under fire in Mexico
Mexican journalist deaths continue to rise
U.N. says Mexico is death zone for journalists
Woman reporter brutally executed in Veracruz
Amnesty International demands action in case of murdered journalist
Journalistic group files legal complaint against Mexico over reporters' deaths
Veracruz newspaper hit by arson attack
© MGRR 2013. All rights reserved. This article may be cited or briefly quoted with proper attribution or a hyperlink, but not reproduced without permission.
Not a good thing at all. It's already hard to know what is actually happening in the northern states, and this will make it worse. Not that you can really blame them though...
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