Imagine waking up, picking up a newspaper, going on Twitter and finding it blank. A blank screen, an empty paper, no news story. This is what is happening in Mexico. Government indifference and corruption have created a freedom of expression crisis in Mexico, endangering not only journalists and their families, but creating a stigma of fear in the Mexican community. The reason why this should be sounding alarming? Because this crisis is something that could occur in the U.S.
Being a journalist in Mexico is almost the same as being a journalist in Syria and Iraq—you are just as likely to die. If you are a journalist in Mexico writing about the corruption of government, drug cartels, gangs, etc., you are bound to be executed within the year. This last year, 42 journalists worldwide have been killed, less than the 48 in 2016. This should seem positive, but comparing this same statistic in Mexico, it seems that this nation is displaying a downward trend. As of 2017, Mexico takes the number one spot for journalists murdered, ranking higher than Iraq and Syria and thus naming itself one of the top deadliest places for individuals in the media.
Government corruption and fear allows these criminal groups (including drug cartels, gangs, and government officials) to silence these reporters, knowing full well that they will not receive any consequences. This issue is portraying itself as a societal norm in Mexico: stay silent and you will not get killed. Although this issue of journalist safety is improving worldwide, it seems to have no indication of improving in Mexico in the foreseeable future.
Miroslava Breach, a mother of three children, was shot and killed when she was just outside her home in her car accompanied by one of her children. She was a reporter for Norte, exposing cartel-related beheadings. The note left behind by her deceased body was: “being a tattletale”
Moises Sanchez was kidnapped and then killed, rumored to be ordered by the Mayor of Medellin and the police chief. Since this execution was carried out by criminals, there is no way to pinpoint government officials as responsible for this crime.
Javier Valdez, after hearing about these killings stated: “Let them kill us all, if that is the death penalty for reporting this hell, No to silence.” A few months later he was killed in the streets of Sinaloa.
There is no arguing that this is a significant issue. Although it is terrible that this is happening to so many journalists that have little rights in terms of freedom of expression, why should this be a pressing issue for individuals in the United States— this is an issue taking place in Mexico, we should only be focusing on what is going on in the U.S.? The United States is moving towards becoming an isolationist nation, deeming the term of ‘America First’. This way of thinking, of only caring about issues in the U.S is not only a demeaning quality to have in a nation, but an embarrassing one. Disregarding international issues and deeming them insignificant is what creates the starting point of repression and censorships from the government. The United States is slowly paving its way to becoming a country like Mexico in terms of censoring its journalists, possibly even worse. From a President who states that reliable news sources are fake if they do not agree with his views and leadership, it would not be surprising if the execution of journalists was slowly to become a norm in the United States as well.
And although you still may be stating that, yes, we know of this issue now and deem it as significant, there is no way that we can help. Realizing this, having this knowledge and merely being aware that the censorship of journalists is occurring in Mexico (and other countries that we do not even know about), is helping. The only thing that these journalists are doing is reporting the issue, bringing it into the public light and thus demanding the government to take preventable measures. This exposure is the best that can be done by the media, being aware of this is what this generation can do.
Imagine waking up and having no knowledge of any news, international and domestic. Of living off the lies and censorship from the government. This is why it is a significant issue for this generation of young adults, no matter where their origins lie, what matters is that individuals are being threatened and killed. The generation that is currently in control of governing bodies in society have no hope of recovering from these mistakes, to suddenly turn a new leaf and forget the fame and power that they have gained through their corrupt ruling of government that they would have to ultimately give up in order to provide freedom of speech and other inalienable rights. But this up and coming generation are the ones whom should not only see this issue of censorship (and right violations) as significant but who already deem it so and are willing to change it.