Journalism continues to be at risk; so far this year, eight journalists have been murdered in Mexico. In 2021, of the 45 journalists murdered for practicing their profession worldwide, seven were killed in Mexico, according to the global network of media owners, reporters, editors and publishers of the International Press Institute (IPI).
Internet and social media access is restricted or reduced in many countries and propaganda campaigns fill platforms around the world; public opinion of journalism has never been worse and ethnic minorities feel marginalized by the lack of representation in traditional media.
For this reason, Ethnic Media Services gave a briefing focused on press and information freedoms, as well as protection: they believe there is no better time than now for newsrooms to consider protection strategies for them.
Carlos Martínez de la Serna, director of programs at the Committee to Protect Journalists, said that current efforts against the problem are disjointed, sometimes contradictory and as a whole are insufficient to contain the phenomenon of violence against journalists in Mexico. Messages rejecting violence against reporters are confused with stigmatizing messages that belong to the authorities' debate on communication channels.
Ricardo Trotti executive director of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) said that if a journalist cannot interview sources or cover stories, media organizations will suffer, as will society in general, if this set of rights is not upheld.
Although it is not possible to definitively identify the sole sector responsible for the phenomenon, there is a strong possibility that they are linked to criminal gangs in the absence of reliable investigations, and it cannot be ruled out that political actors may have participated in aggravating the situation.
Trotti explains that violence against journalists is a serious detriment to informational democracy, because if citizens do not know the challenges of their community and how to respond accordingly, as well as the freedoms available to them, a dynamic society is not possible. "attacks on journalists harm our freedom of expression, which allows us all kinds of freedoms, not only ensuring our freedom from government censorship."
Journalism remains at risk, experts Ruslan Gurzhiy, editor-in-chief of Slavic-Sa, Russian news in California, stated that "it is essential for everyone's right to freedom of expression and news circulation that journalists have the opportunity to do their work without fear."
Journalists play an indispensable role in reporting what is happening around us, both locally and globally. Professionalism should never be questioned when it comes to journalism, but every individual has the right to uphold these principles that are so important to global stability: honesty, transparency and accountability.
Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina, pointed out that the right to journalism is a fundamental part of democracy and social coexistence, which is why journalists' lives must be defended and the practice of communication must be safeguarded, since such activities are practices derived from ethical principles.
He also noted that the way people are socialized makes violence seem normal in many environments. "Violence is not just a matter of criminality, but exists as an everyday phenomenon." In addition, it is important for everyone to understand what has been happening lately, he stressed, as visible incidents of violence have increased exponentially due to media coverage and awareness campaigns that emphasize its presence.
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