PROTECTION LACKING FOR JOURNALISTS

BY VICENTE CALDERÓN

Thekillings of two colleaguesinTijuana inlessthan a week are part of a larger tragedy On Jan. 17, theday Margarito Martínez was shot andkilled,seven homicidesincludinghis were officially registeredinthecity by thestate authorities.On Jan. 23 withthe assassinationofLourdes Maldonado,the death tollclosedatfour thatday.

It’s notclearifeither was killeddue to theirprofession,and we need tokeep the pressure onthe authoritiessothatpossibility willnotbeignored.

Butthecrimeshappened inanenvironmentofviolenceandimpunity that Mexico experiences every day and that hasbeen worseningfor years. We must demandthat authoritiesinvestigate whethertheydied directlyorindirectlybecause of their jobs.

We know that in Mexico journalistscan betargeted bydrugcartels,politicians or businessmendue to theirpublications.

Thatiswhyaround2012, andunderpressure fromdifferentorganizations the Mexican governmentcreated a mechanismfor protectionfor journalistsandhumanrights defenders.Itis a seriesof measuresthat range from providing journalists a panic button to providingthembodyguardsand even to relocatingthem to a differentcity, dependingonthelevel ofdanger.

It’s a mechanism thathasproveninsufficient somecallituseless atprotecting journalists,anditsbroader goal,protecting therights of freedomofpressand expression,sinceseveral reportershave beenkilled whileunderthatsupposedprotection.Lourdes Maldonado was one of them,while Margarito had juststarted theprocess to be included onthestate-level mechanism.

Homicidesare so commoninTijuana that even thehighnumbers attractlittle attention from readersorviewers.Andthe perpetrators(especiallythemasterminds) ofmostofthesekillings are notpunishedor even identified.

Unfortunately inthiscity itisnot just reportersandphotographerswhoare victimsofviolence. We couldsaythesame aboutpoliceofficers, humanrightsactivists, lawyers, women,doctors studentsandcitizens.Evenminors are killed more andmore often.

Anotherpart ofthistragedy which has manydimensions— isthelabor conditions for journalismin Mexico.

Margarito workedwithoutanylabor protections.Atthemediaoutlets with which he collaborated,he was anindependent contractor— very similar to theso-called “stringers”oflocalTVstations inthe United States.

Stringers go outmainlyatnight, guided bythepoliceradio frequency, following ambulancesandpolice cars to crashes, fires, crimesandother events.Theirphotosand videosare thensold to mediaoutlets which turnthatraw materialinto their own for theirviewers.

Theyare notpaidaspoorlyas reporters in Mexico Butinhiscase, Margarito went to work without a safety net.

“El Mago,”ashis friendscalled him,decided to take therisks of goinginto thecanyonsandhillsofTijuana’s neighborhoods aloneandatnight,inoneofthemost dangerouscitiesinthe world.It was notentirelyhis own decision There was no companywilling to take responsibility foranemployee with that risklevel,despite theimportanceofthat position.

Longago,Tijuana’s TVstations canceled nightshifts. Manydependonstringerslike Margarito,whoare left withno choicebut to gathermaterialsandputthemselvesin danger ifthey want to sellthem. Inthe case ofLourdes Maldonado,shebecamethe story, without planning it.Itstarted when she decidednot to allow thelaborabuses by themedia companyPacificSpanish Network (now Primer Sistemade Noticias), ownedby theformer governorofBajaCalifornia, Jaime Bonilla Valdez.

In Mexico there is a longhistory ofmedia outletsthatskimponthelegalbenefitsof their workersbyoutsourcing.Itisnotuncommonforthem to usetheirpower ofinfluence to pressure laborauthorities, complicatinganemployee’s rights claim. A 2019 videoofLourdes Maldonadodemanding PresidentAndrés ManuelLópezObrador’s support sothathispersonal friend, Jaime Bonilla Valdez wouldtreat her correctly wentviralonlyafter she was killed.

Apparently, herpetition to thepresident workedandLourdes was close toobtaining compensationlegally Her courage in daring to confront a man who because of his closeness to the Mexicanpresident, was practicallythemostpoliticallypowerful guy inallofBajaCalifornia— and above all her tenacity, gave Lourdesthepossibility of writing a story that would confirmwhat was aloudsecret a caseoflabor abuse bya media companyagainsta journalist.

Sadly thisisthestory ofmany butone only a few have dared to write.The freemarket journalismthat Mexico’s pressprofessionalsendure islessdangerous,but just asharmful to journalismandultimately to society’s right to know. Yearsago, a groupof local journalistsproposedtheneed toexplore a new relationshipbetween companies, news consumers, journalistsandother stakeholders. Joking andusingourSpanglish, we said that we should move from“Free Trade Journalism” to a kindof“FairTrade Journalism,”where we pay attention to both theproduct and the conditionsunderwhich it’s produced.

That’s becauseit’s notunusualfor reportersandphotographers,eager to survive in Mexican journalism, togo out for a story withouttheslightestlaborprotectionsand witha mechanismthat inthe current conditionsofimpunity, doesnot reallyprotect journalistsoranyoneelse.

You don’t reallyhave freedomofthepress if yourneighbordoesn’t.Andnobodyis really safe whenthislevel ofviolenceandimpunity issoclose to home.

Calderón isthe founderanddirector of TijuanaPress.com,adailynewswebsite.Hehas worked onbothsides of theborder for over30 years. Thisessay wasinitiallywritteninSpanishandtranslated by TheSan DiegoUnion-Tribune.

BY MARIANA MARTÍNEZ ESTÉNS

Ifindoutabout Margarito’s murder and go mute. A memory comesclearly;themorning heinvitedmeforbreakfastat hismom’s house. We hadgloriousburritosaftera longnight of covering too much death.He was generous to a fault,despite ourlimitedinteractions.

Ithinkabouthisdaughter now left fatherless,andhow shefoundhisbody.I’mbeginning to wrapmyhead around thatcruelty whenI hearabout Lourdes. Mysilencewidens, deepens.

Inprivate and away from thepubliceye, I help,support, participate thebest I can.In public, I amsilent. I don’t have anything to saythatdoesn’t stinkofthesame old shit I grew uphere inTijuana.This borderismyhomebasewhere Ihave been a reporter for20 years. Ifeel asifmybodyis floatingin a bodyof water. I’mdizzy, sad,angry fearful,indisbelief. Ifeel guiltand relief to be alive. Allthese feelings hitmein waves despite my bestefforts toget work doneordothe dishes.

Itry not to bepart ofthe samecastof characterssuspendedintimein anendless playofsorts.Thekillingofa journalistin 1997 2004,2012 feelslikea sadanddusty rerun of a show with thesameplot:a journalistdoesherorhis job, getsthreats, files a complaint, changessourcesfor a few months, even has a cop outside thehousefor a bitor getsa phoneappinstalledwitha “panic button.”

The journalist isafraid,but keeps workinguntilheorsheis killed.The journalistsleft behind lead a protest. We cover our own protestsandtake turnstakingpictures.The state agentssaythisisunacceptable Theypromisea thorough investigation and thendonothing. Thenanother journalist getsthreats and the same show starts to rerun.

Someone on themany chats I belong to saidsadly that“society doesn’t get outragedwhen we are killed.”

Iimaginethe average Mexican,without job security or safety inthestreets, walking home every nightfearingfor themselvesandloved onesin this country fullofmass graves andinjustices. Dopeople have anyanger left over to share withus?Isit fairthat we askforthat? For journalists, deathinthe lineofduty istheultimate cost, yet there are manyothersthat add upbeforea killing. Reportersfacelow payand often nobenefits,with Mexican outlets paying$2.50 U.S.per picture used or $50 for a story. Thousandsof journalists all over Mexico work withnosupport,little restandnomental healthprotocols. After decadesof working professionally theystillstruggle to support andraise a family, or even have enoughofa private life to have timefora familyinthe firstplace. That’s the context.

According to Artícle 19,a journalististhreatenedin Mexico every 12 hours.The mainaggressors are governmentofficialswhoare known to even usepublicforce to make goodonsuch threats.Read thatagain.Themainaggressorsare governmentofficials whoare known to even use public force to make good on such threats.

Itmakesmy chesthurt.

Despite the constant fingerpointingatnarcos andorganizedcrime,datashowsthe biggestenemyof journalismis our own governmentatvarious levelsand offices,including thoseinpoliticalpartiesand those runningforpublicoffice.

Icatch mybreath and think thatmaybethisinformation canbeused as a threadthat mightbindourpain to the rest ofthe grieving,suffering people in Mexico Our constantag- gressorisnotsomuch organizedcrimeasitisthestate actors eitherthrough their actionorinaction.They constantly feedinjusticeanda culture ofdeath anddespair. Somaybetheanswerliesin sharing our painwithother pains,softlythreading our experiences together to feel less alone getting together to push forcitizen participation that has consequenceand binding human rightsinvestigations,looking for justice mechanismsthat actually work.

Ialsocan’thelpbutfocuson theurgentneedforbetter working conditionsfor journalists andhow maybe all ofit working togethermightcrack alightinthisheavycementgrayscenario.

As I finishmy work andmy dishes,I’mstilldizzy with conflicting feelings coming in waves.Stillmute, I lighta candle to remindmyself:It’s alwaysdarkestbefore the dawn.

MartínezEsténs isa Tijuana-based Mexicanjournalistwith over 22 years of experiencecoveringtheborderwith NBC,AP,Milenio Radioandother outlets.Her firstbook, availablein EnglishandSpanish,“Inside People: Historiasdesdela reclusión,”cameout in2021anddetailsher experiences workinginprisons.