By Ingrid Bachmann
The media suffering most from the killings of at least eight journalists this year in Mexico are those in the interior of the country who are essentially defenseless against the violence, reported the Inter Press Service (IPS).
“Local media are the ones investigating what is happening on the ground. They are tangible and visible actors," Armando Prida, president of the Foundation for Freedom of Expression (Fundalex), explained to IPS.
According to Carla Aguirre, of Artículo 19, violence is the most common way of censoring in Mexico, especially among local media. The government's lack of response and action translates into serious consequences: “A silenced press is a harbinger of a paralyzed society," Aguirre warned.
At least in the state of Michoacán —where Hugo Olivera was killed Tuesday— journalists have responded with the organization of a march to demand the right to freedom of expression and call for investigations into crimes against media workers, reported Cambio de Michoacán.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
