Javier Garza is a journalist based in northern Mexico. He is co-host of Expansión Daily, one of the most popular news podcasts in México, and runs the local news platform EnRe2Laguna and the radio newscast Reporte100. For the past 15 years he has worked on journalist protection and press freedom issues. As editorial director of El Siglo de Torreón, he led a newsroom that came under fire from drug cartels operating in his city. He is a contributor to El País and The Washington Post. Garza was also a Knight Fellow at the International Center for Journalists focusing on digital security. He serves on the boards of the World Editors Forum, Article19 and the Internet Freedom Festival and has given conferences and workshops on press freedom and media development in several countries. He is a graduate of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and the University of Texas at Austin.
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Javier Garza es periodista basado en el norte de México. Es co-conductor de Expansión Daily, uno de los podcasts de noticias más populares de México y dirige la plataforma de noticias locales EnRe2Laguna y el programa de radio Reporte100. En los últimos 15 años ha trabajado en temas de protección de periodistas y libertad de prensa. Como director editorial de El Siglo de Torreón, dirigió una redacción bajo fuego de cárteles de la droga operando en su ciudad.
Colabora en los diarios El País y la edición en español de The Washington Post. Garza también fue Knight Fellow del Centro Internacional de Periodistas, enfocado en seguridad digital. Es miembro de los consejos del Foro Mundial de Editores, Artículo19 y el Festival de Libertad de Internet y ha dado conferencias y talleres en seguridad, libertad de prensa y desarrollo de medios en varios países. Es graduado de la Universidad Iberoamericana en la Ciudad de México y la Universidad de Texas en Austin. Es autor del libro “Nueve Disparos”, un reportaje profundo sobre un tiroteo ocurrido en una escuela de la ciudad de Torreón, Coahuila en enero de 2020.
Across Latin America, governments have attempted different models to investigate and prosecute attacks against journalists. It is evident that there is no unified model for creating an office to investigate and prosecute crimes against journalists. Some countries have special prosecutors, while other countries have investigative units. Moreover, the results of their efforts are often difficult to track, according to experts.
As violence against journalists has increased in Latin America, several countries have created protection mechanisms designed to implement safety measures for journalists reporting attacks or threats against them.
Whether in Mexico or Ecuador, as in Colombia, Honduras or Nicaragua, the coverage of violence has posed new challenges for journalists, because the traditional concept of armed conflict is being challenged in the region. The diversity of armed groups also means broadening the definition of the term. It is not just regular security forces, such as armies or police, and paramilitary groups such as guerrillas, but it can also involve drug traffickers, gang members or private security forces.