Journalists in Mexico

Available for over a year

Outside a war zone, Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries to be a journalist. In 2021, seven journalists were murdered. But in the first few weeks of this year alone, the killing of five journalists has prompted an outcry and concern. On today’s edition, we have been hearing what it's like when your job is to try and tell stories in a country where four people are killed every hour and where violent crimes fill your newsfeeds. For Adrián López Ortiz, the CEO and editor of Noroeste newspaper in the state of Sinaloa in Northwestern Mexico, it’s a long standing problem since he still suffers from injuries during an attack in 2014. “I was coming back from a business trip and when I was going from the airport to my home I was intercepted by two cars,” said Ortiz. “From one of them came two guys and one of them shot me in both legs.” Ines Garcia, co-founder of a digital news service called Punto Norte, is based in Tijuana, an area where two of the five journalists were killed this year. She describes the fear and personal checks she makes each time she leaves her house. Host Karnie Sharp also hears a conversation with three men and women who are either journalism students or freshly graduated. They share hopes and fears for the profession - and why they believe it is vitally important to report on Mexico’s organised crime, murders and drug cartels.