I am aware that they have a drug cartel problem. I know it has resulted in some violence and has cut into tourism. But I pretty much believe in leaving the Mexicans to their own devices.
A recent Associated Press article changed all that. As it ran in The Arizona Republic, it was headlined: “Mexico newspaper seeks a truce with cartels.”
I read most anything with “newspaper” in the headline so I plunged in. In the article datelined Juarez, AP correspondent Olivia Torres reported that the largest newspaper in that border town, El Diario de Juarez, asked the warring drug cartels for a truce – not between the cartels, mind you, but between the cartels and the newspaper.
Seems the cartels are most likely responsible for the deaths of two of the paper’s journalists. The first, a crime reporter, was murdered outside his home in 2008. More recently, a photographer for the paper was gunned down and killed on his way to lunch.
To its credit, the newspaper criticized the government for not protecting the journalists, but a front page editorial by Diario’s editor Pedro Torres represents a complete abdication of its responsibilities as a newspaper:
“We ask you to explain what you want from us, what we should try to publish or not publish, so we know what to expect,” it asked the cartels. “We don’t want to continue to be used as cannon fodder in this war because we’re tired.”
Totally unacceptable. Because newspapers in Mexico, just like newspapers anywhere else in the world, have a sacred trust – to truthfully and thoroughly report the news and to serve as a watchdog in protecting the public from excesses by government, corporations, and, yes, drug cartels.
And it’s not just developing countries like Mexico where journalists lose their lives. Longtime Arizona residents remember the 1976 murder of Republic investigative reporter Don Bolles who was looking into political corruption and the convergence of big time mobsters in Phoenix. Lured to a downtown hotel to meet a source, he was blown up in his car and died days later.
I was living in Phoenix at the time and worked with Don Bolles’ wife. Nothing brings home a tragedy with more impact than listening to a widow talk about her dead husband and the children he left behind.
But Bolles knew that when you sign on in this business, it’s for the duration. Not until the going gets tough. Not until somebody gets killed. Not even until drug cartels are picking off your staff members one at a time.
Journalism is not supposed to be a business where you befriend those you are responsible for covering. It is not a business where you go fishing with the mayor.
I don’t mean to equate my experiences with those who lost their lives in Juarez. There is no comparison. But let me tell you about some people I have thoroughly ticked off in the process of doing my job to the best of my ability.
Former Payson Councilor Mike Vogel was so mad at me he told a mutual acquaintance that he would not attend a meeting if I was going to be there. It didn’t make me stop doing my job. In fact, it wasn’t long thereafter that I made it clear on the Gazette Blog that Vogel’s new position with the town lobbying businesses to come to Payson was most inappropriate given the thumping he took from the voters.
Back when he was town manager, Payson Councilor Fred Carpenter called me at the office and read me the riot act because he didn’t like the way I covered a story about the obscene salaries of top town officials.
Payson water guru Buzz Walker (I can’t keep track of his title changes) almost ripped the front door off the office when he came by to pay his respects after a less than flattering story I wrote.
Payson Mayor Kenny Evans wonders why I won’t sit down with him and let him provide a version of town government according to Kenny like he does with another local reporter.
Even former mayor Bob Edwards, for whom I have always had the utmost respect, was upset at one point during his tenure over my coverage of the Great Tower Well Heist by the Town of Payson.
While nobody has tried to kill me yet, I have received letters from lawyers, threats of lawsuits, and veiled threats of bodily harm. I am no hero, but I won’t back down when the integrity of my profession is at stake.
The Consort once asked me, half jokingly, if we should reinforce the bedroom wall exposed to the street with steel. Speaking of The Consort, serious, committed journalists view their profession the same as marriage – for better or worse.
Some occupations are more perilous than others. A guy who builds skyscrapers could plunge to his death.
A soldier defending his country in combat is in constant peril. So is a cop on the beat.
And journalists occasionally pay the price for the job they do. If you can’t live with it – if you aren’t prepared to see it through – don’t sign on.
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