The Mexican Press in Peril

Why some journalists in Mexico are staying silent during the recent violence between drug gangs

Beheadings and murders of police would seem like ideal grist for opportunistic news organizations. So why are some parts of the Mexican press staying silent during the recent savage fighting between drug cartels? Because they themselves are in the crosshairs. The most recent victim was the newspaper Cambio Sonora, published in Hermosillo, the capital of the state of Sonora. Violence--including two grenade attacks on its offices-- caused the newspaper to announce on May 24 that it was temporarily shutting down. Seven journalists have been murdered in Mexico since October, mostly in retaliation for reporting on the drug cartels. And two television reporters...

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