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The peCritical journalism is in danger from totalitarian figures who control information in different countries, according to Manuel Ortiz, who witnessed the persecution of journalists and media outlets during his work in Lebanon, a context that he does not see as so far away for the United States with the arrival of Donald Trump.
In the Middle Eastern countries there is an atmosphere of persecution of critical media, where the leaders have all the power and do not want to be questioned by absolutely anyone, commented journalist Manuel Ortiz in an interview with Marcos Gutiérrez during the radio program PenÃnsula 360 Press on Hecho en California.
Ortiz traveled to the Middle East with the aim of documenting and learning about the situation of displaced people and refugees in Lebanon due to Israel's attacks, which seem to have no end; but also to create links with organizations and journalists who are working in this context.
During his stay in Lebanon, he witnessed the ceasefire agreement, but within days of the announcement, 50 attacks were recorded, according to a report issued by France.
"Doing journalism in an authoritarian context is a difficult task," said Ortiz, sharing his experience upon learning about an Israeli media outlet that has been critical of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This outlet carries out informative journalism in the face of the genocide taking place in Gaza, however, "it has been expensive for them," as they are persecuted for carrying out their work.
In Turkey, too, there is an atmosphere of harassment, as journalists who exercised their right to freedom of expression in the face of the country's problems have been imprisoned, leading to the fact that critical media no longer exist, the sociologist also pointed out.
While in Turkey, Ortiz spoke with a journalist who made comments for a television station in which she said that Israel's attacks have caused many displacements of civilians, children, elderly people and women. After that, she was attacked on social media through accounts, most of them fake.
In the context of the United States, Donald Trump, who will take office as president on January 20, 2025, has chosen Kash Patel as director of the FBI, who in 2023, during an interview with Steve Bannon, said that the Department of Justice would go after members of the media.
"He will go out and find the conspirators, not just in the government but in the media," Patel said in the interview.
"Yes, we're going to go after the media people who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden steal the presidential election: we're going to go after you," he added.
In response, Manuel Ortiz stressed that "there is absolutely no evidence that the election was stolen from Donald Trump, but quite the opposite. It is a message for journalists that I interpret as: whoever does not want to remain silent, we will go against him, against her or against the media. That is the world at this moment."
Critical journalists who simply disappear are people who are very committed to humanity and to reporting without political tendencies, as they risk their lives so that all crimes against humanity do not go unpunished, concluded photographer Manuel Ortiz.
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