Mexico: Calderon’s Efforts to Protect Free Speech, Journalists

As Urja pointed out, Mexico is one of the deadliest and most dangerous media systems for journalists. The statistics are staggering: According to the CPJ, 27 journalists have been killed in Mexico in the past 15 years. Journalists reporting on crime stories, drug cartels, trafficking, and organized crime are targeted so frequently that reporting on such topics has suffered and decreased.

Mexican president Felipe Calderon is addressing the dangers journalists face and may soon pass legislation that would provide a much stronger legal framework for the investigation and prosecution of journalist attacks. In 2008, Calderon endorsed and presented to Congress legislation that would make crimes “committed against freedom of expression” a federal offense. If the bill is passed, the federalization of these crimes could potentially make Mexico a safer place for journalists.

So much of the dangers journalists face in Mexico is exacerbated by the culture of fear, retribution, and corruption that runs rampant not just in organized crime circles, but in local government as well. Numerous suspicious journalist deaths in Mexico remain unsolved; in several instances this is more a product of poor police work, intimidation, and lack of resources at the local and state level than it is lack of evidence. Federalizing these crimes is a major step towards guaranteeing that justice – a thorough investigation, a fair trial, and supervision by federal officials – is served. With harsher penalties and a standardized system, the hope is that crimes against free speech, and journalists, will decrease.

-- Liz Hobson