Watchdog Journalism in Action

line of people holding a protest banner, back lit by the sun

The Risks for Journalists

In Mexico, journalists are the targets of violence themselves. The Committee to Protect Journalists identified Mexico as one of the deadliest countries for journalists to carry out their work, with 57 journalists killed and 14 missing since 1992. While violence against journalists has long been a problem in Mexico, it has become increasingly worse since the turn of the century.  In 2020 alone, eight journalists were killed. Mexico’s National Commission of Human Rights Humanos reported that, between 2010 and 2018—a span of just eight years—148 journalists were killed in Mexico. Between 2005 and 2018, 21 were victims of disappearances

The Mexican state systematically fails to investigate and prosecute the attacks on, disappearances and murders of journalists in Mexico. Since 2010, the Federal Special Prosecutor’s Office, whose task is to investigate crimes against journalists, has opened more than 1,000 investigations but, by December 2018, the Special Prosecutor’s Office brought just 186 charges for crimes against journalists, a mere 16.3 percent of all received complaints. During the same period, the office obtained only 10 convictions. A National Protection Mechanism was established by the federal government to protect journalists under threat, but there are ongoing concerns about the lack of resources, coordination, and procedures for this mechanism.   

In this context, journalists we interviewed explained that their press outlets engaged in editorial self-censorship, including publishing without a by-line in order to avoid any negative repercussions. Frey and Cuellar (2020) found that cases of disappearance are significantly underreported in Mexico’s print media in relation to the dimensions of the problem, because of security concerns, questions of attracting readers and the influence that political actors have in controlling what information is published.  The Observatory’s press database further demonstrates this gap: we found fewer than 200 reported disappearance victims who appeared in print media outlets in each of the four states we studied (Coahuila, 196; Guerrero, 120; Jalisco, 173; and Nuevo Leon, 162), despite thousands of disappearances reported in each state. 

This section of the website is dedicated to highlighting the ways in which journalists across different states in Mexico have experienced, been harmed by, and coped with working in a context that is explicitly hostile to their work. We include the story of Valentin Valdez Espinoza, a reporter from Coahuila, who paid the highest price for his professional work, brutally killed to terrorize the public and his colleagues. Undoubtedly, the work done by reporters around the world is of central importance in drawing attention to issues that may otherwise be swept under the rug by governments, administrations, corporations, and criminal organizations that are all too eager to pursue their operations without the input or attention of outside actors. Such watchdog reporting is perhaps even more important, and certainly more dangerous, in states like Mexico, which are plagued by impunity, violence, and corruption. 

Coahuila: His death was a message to journalists

An impassioned, driven journalist and caring son, Valentín Valdés Espinosa exemplified professionalism in his work in the state of Coahuila. Remembered by his colleagues as a man who took great care in writing his stories; who sought out interviews week after week; who arrived at the office before everyone else and stayed until dark, Valentín wrote stories that brought light to pressing issues in Coahuila. Unfortunately, this dedication to the pursuit of truth ultimately led Valentín to his untimely and tragic death in January 2010. 

Educated at the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Valentín worked for various news outlets in the state over the course of his ten years as a journalist. Starting at El Diario de Coahuila, moving to Vanguardia, and becoming one of the founding members of Zocalo, Valentín developed his skills with a variety of different news organizations. Producing mostly political and investigative pieces, Valentín was a dependable worker known to publish high-quality content. 

The last story covered by Valentín was one of the first that reported on the activities of organized crime in Coahuila. Due to his experience covering investigations, Valentín was tapped to cover a story about a raid that had taken place at a motel in Coahuila, called Marbella. In the federal operation at the motel on December 29, 2009, members of the Mexican army arrested 12 individuals involved in organized crime; among them, an alleged leader in the Gulf Cartel. 

Valentín published an article, to which he did not attach his name, with the headline, “Capturan a sicarios en el Motel Marbella de Saltillo” (Hit men captured in the Marbella de Saltillo Motel). On the day it was published, January 7, 2010, Valentín was abducted by a group of armed men while riding in a taxi with two of his colleagues. After his captors beat and tortured Valentin to death, they left his body in front of the Motel Marbella de Saltillo with a threatening note splayed across the chest. 

Left to grieve the tragic loss of their colleague and afraid for their lives, none of the journalists in the area covered Valentin’s torture and death. In fact, reporting on disappearances and crime in Coahuila came to a halt before it had really begun. The officials in charge of investigating Valentin’s murder took a similar approach; in failing to adequately investigate the case, Valentín’s murder remains unsolved and his attackers free.

The young journalist left behind an aging mother and a sick father. Valentín’s father, who had suffered from diabetes and was on dialysis, died soon after the death of his beloved son, who had become his caretaker. Valentín's mother, María del Carmen, keeps pictures of her son up in her room, keeping his joyful smile in her heart and his hopeful mantra in her mind: mañana será otro día, mamá, mañana saldrá el sol.  

Guerrero: Using spot reporting to minimize the risk

The indices of violence in the state of Guerrero are among the highest in México, and journalists have been a particular target of that violence. In one recent example, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported that the small community of reporters who covered organized crime in Iguala dwindled after journalist Pablo Morrugares’s 2020 murder, evidently for his reporting about organized crime. It is perhaps, then, unsurprising that reporters take into account questions of personal security when reporting on enforced disappearances in the state.

Characteristic of the media reports on disappearances in this region is spot reporting or notas rojas, mentioned in the introduction to this section. When reported as notas rojas, disappearances are portrayed as singular crimes, removed from the context in which they occurred, presented as being one-off tragedies in a country that has known all too well the realities of the widespread, systemic nature of disappearances.  

One reporter in Guerrero, (“Esther”), portrayed for us the very real limitations faced by journalists working in this state. Reflecting on her time at a local newspaper, Esther remarked that “there are many things that are not investigated here… Violence here is no small thing and has obligated reporters to take many precautions.” Such precautions, Esther noted, have influenced the reporting done on disappearances such that, when reporting on Amber Alerts, reporters seldom undertake further investigation into the cases, unless it “draws a lot of attention.” 

Questions of readership and profitability additionally influence which stories are pursued. When speaking about which variables influence the editorial decisions at her news outlet, Esther noted that she detected a change in its guiding principles, which affected the information and stories it published. 

For those reporters living in areas with high levels of violence and working for companies whose interests are influenced by political and economic concerns, covering unpopular stories that highlight both human rights violations and the state’s role in their perpetuation is difficult, if not impossible, and has consequences that undermine victims’ and society’s right to the truth. 

Nuevo Leon: Putting a face on disappearance victims

As early as 2004, Daniel de la Fuente, a reporter for the variety section of El Norte, began to put a human face on violence in the region. He felt an obligation to use his tools and power as a reporter to draw attention to the violence and the human stories behind it. Through his reporting, de la Fuente hopes to combat the notas rojas phenomenon, instead contextualizing disappearances and violent crimes within a larger framework of human rights violations, raising collective awareness and, most importantly, telling the stories of the victims and their loved ones.  De la Fuente offered his perspective on why some cases receive more news coverage than others, noting that the degree of mobilization of the victim's family increases visibility in the news and the public's interest level in a story depends on the socioeconomic class of the victim (Interview, July 9, 2019).

In his own reporting, de la Fuente humanized the victims through storytelling, describing for readers the emotional trauma experienced by family members who were reeling from disappearances, and painting a picture of the personality of disappeared individuals. In his article, Marineros en Tierra, published by El Norte in January 2012, the storytelling skills of de la Fuente are visible. His coverage of the disappearance of two taxi drivers begins with an emotional scene in which Jesús Victor sees his son, Junior, being taken away in a caravan of military vehicles. Jesús courageously runs up to the military officer who has taken his son captive, exemplifying the bravery assumed by family members of the disappeared and their feelings of desperation as they struggle against and reckon with the reality of having a loved one disappear. Reporting that focused on the humanity and powerful emotions of victims themselves provided a counterpoint to the dominant narrative of Mexican authorities—broadcast by many media outlets—that the disappeared were bad apples themselves, linked to organized crime, enemies of their communities, and responsible for their own fate. 

In Marineros en Tierra, de la Fuente also profiles the perpetrators in a disappearance case, giving special attention and emphasis to the role of naval officers in depriving Junior and others of their liberty. By describing how Junior was covered with a sheet and beaten by his captors, de la Fuente highlighted the role of the state in orchestrating disappearances; a journalistic move that many reporters working in Nuevo Leon at the time might not have risked. The omnipresence and abusive power of the military was apparent in de la Fuente’s reporting on the nighttime visit by military officials to Junior’s brother, and other threats to victims.

In focusing on the experiences of one father and the search for his son, de la Fuente draws the reader into the personal suffering of the families of the disappeared. The reader accompanies Jesús as he questions public authorities about the whereabouts of his son and weeps at the sight of the daughter Junior left behind. De la Fuente’s characterization of the young man who the Navy disappeared and the father who searched for him provided the public with a firsthand understanding about the human toll of disappearances.

Especially in the peak years of violence in Nuevo Leon, de la Fuente and other journalists had to consider questions of security when covering disappearances and violent crimes. De la Fuente explained to us that the stress of covering is intense; before the publication of any article, he and his coworkers have to think about the potential effects on both reporters and victims. Between 2009-12, according to de la Fuente, “You had to go to the neighborhoods, you had to go to the municipalities, to the rural areas. And then those routes, and that talking and asking about information from neighbors and acquaintances is where you can suddenly put yourself at risk.” (Interview, July 9, 2019).

In 2012, De la Fuente assisted with a special report published in three major news outlets, El Norte, La Reforma and Mural, which covered a series of disappearance cases that typified the nature of the crimes being carried out in Nuevo Leon.  The report relied on the cooperation of the organization CADHAC, its director, Sr. Consuelo Morales, and the cases its lawyers had investigated.  The series had an important impact on public opinion, according to De la Fuente, “it shocked and outraged, it made visible that  none of these cases was resolved, none of those people returned.”  The series underscored the impunity inherent in the wave of disappearances.  De la Fuente reflected, “How difficult, how difficult this issue of doing journalism but not seeing concrete consequences in favor of families.” (Interview, July 9, 2019)

El Norte, in continuation of its efforts to draw attention to violence in Mexico and situate disappearances and other crimes within a larger context of human rights violations, published a multimedia project called La decada roja, in 2016. Highlighting trends in murders and disappearances since 2006.  Along with the 2012 series, this project was emblematic of best practices in watchdog journalism on the issues of disappearances. In addition to highlighting specific cases of violence, the reporting situated them within a broader context, bringing to light the endemic nature of human rights violations and the culpability of public officials and state actors in carrying out or covering up the crimes.

Collectives

Journalism in Mexico extends beyond the traditional news outlets and is additionally characterized and enriched by independent collectives that work to call attention to corruption, human rights abuses, impunity, and disappearances. The work of the journalists that make up these collectives is invaluable in raising consciousness of human rights violations in Mexico and in decriminalizing victims of such crimes.   

Zona Docs: Periodismo en Resistencia

Zona Docs is an independent journalist collective that operates in Guadalajara, Jalisco which was established as an independent entity in 2017. Its members, Darwin Franco, Dalia Souza, Ximena Torres, Aletse Torres, Samantha Anaya and Christian Cantero, undertake the investigative and documentary reporting they do from a human rights perspective, taking as their ethical and normative base the Universal Declaration on Human Rights from the United Nations. The reporting done by Zona Docs focuses on systemic issues and on those who have been victimized by them. Understanding the centrality of accessible, transparent reporting in the maintenance of democracy and freedom, Zona Docs denounces injustices, calls attention to issues that may otherwise be left out of mainstream discourse, and highlights movements that look to support the defence and universal enjoyment of human rights. 

The work done by Zona Docs has garnered attention from local and international organizations. In 2019, this collective was awarded two awards for journalism in Jalisco in the categories chronicles and students. In 2020, Zona Docs was recognized by Google News Initiative and Seattle International Foundation for their reporting. Aiming to increase their reach and work with other news organizations committed to promoting human rights through the visualization and denouncement of crimes, Zona Docs is a member of the Periodistas de a Pie network. 

Quinto Elemento

An independent, non-profit organization, those at Quinto Elemento use their investigative reporting to empower citizens, strengthen accountability in Mexico, and facilitate the construction of a more just and transparent society. Quinto Elemento promises to deliver independent, honest reporting that is not influenced by outside causes or political interests.  

Team members Alejandra Xanic, Armando Talamantes, Andrea Cárdenas, Efrían Tzuc, Ruth Muñiz, Marcela Turati, and Diana Partida Arteaga promise to “rummage around where one should not be,” to “go through that which has been hidden in the closet” and to provide the people of Mexico with a more informed understanding of the communities and country in which they live.An understanding which can then be used in the construction of a better society. Such a promise is no small thing, especially in Mexico, given the many risks and violence that journalists face when carrying out their work. 

Periodistas de a pie

A civil society organization composed primarily of female journalists, Periodistas de a Pie, was founded in 2007 with the intention to put a human face to human rights violations. Today, the organization looks to elevate the quality of independent journalism in Mexico through education of journalists, the collection of information on human rights, creation of databases, and collaboration among reporters that supports the exchange of investigation techniques, experiences, and narrative styles. With the mission of using journalism to protect and advocate for human rights, Periodistas de a Pie supports reporting on, investigations into, and denouncements of human rights abuses, their perpetrators, and their causes. 

The evolution of Periodistas de a pie is marked by and reflects the danger that journalists in Mexico face. In 2010, when violence against journalists became systematic, Periodistas transformed into a civil society organization dedicated to promoting the safety and protection of journalists across the country. The organization has grown over the years, looking to meet the needs of journalists who often find themselves working with great vulnerability. Maintaining alliances with more than 80 organizations, Periodistas continues to support, educate, and connect journalists across Mexico. 

To underscore the importance of journalism in the current moment, Periodistas has launched its Periodismo campaign. This campaign highlights the protective role that independent, investigative journalism plays in the construction of a transparent society and is conceived of as an antidote to corruption, evasion, the criminalization of victims, organized crime, and silence, among other things. Facilitating collaboration among independent journalists, working for their protection, and collecting information for use by journalists, Periodistas de a pie plays a foundational role in supporting independent, critical journalism across Mexico.

Coahuila: His death was a message to journalists

An impassioned, driven journalist and caring son, Valentín Valdez Espinoza exemplified professionalism in his work in the state of Coahuila. Remembered by his colleagues as a man who took great care in writing his stories; who sought out interviews week after week; who arrived at the office before everyone else and stayed until dark, Valentín wrote stories that brought light to pressing issues in Coahuila. Unfortunately, this dedication to the pursuit of truth ultimately led Valentín to his untimely and tragic death in January 2010. 

Educated at the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Valentín worked for various news outlets in the state over the course of his ten years as a journalist. Starting at El Diario de Coahuila, moving to Vanguardia, and becoming one of the founding members of Zocalo, Valentín developed his skills with a variety of different news organizations. Producing mostly political and investigative pieces, Valentín was a dependable worker known to publish high-quality content. 

The last story covered by Valentín was one of the first that reported on the activities of organized crime in Coahuila. Due to his experience covering investigations, Valentín was tapped to cover a story about a raid that had taken place at a motel in Coahuila, called Marbella. In the federal operation at the motel on December 29, 2009, members of the Mexican army arrested 12 individuals involved in organized crime; among them, an alleged leader in the Gulf Cartel. 

Valentín published an article, to which he did not attach his name, with the headline, “Capturan a sicarios en el Motel Marbella de Saltillo” (Hit men captured in the Marbella de Saltillo Motel). On the day it was published, January 7, 2010, Valentín was abducted by a group of armed men while riding in a taxi with two of his colleagues. After his captors beat and tortured Valentin to death, they left his body in front of the Motel Marbella de Saltillo with a threatening note splayed across the chest. 

Left to grieve the tragic loss of their colleague and afraid for their lives, none of the journalists in the area covered Valentin’s torture and death. In fact, reporting on disappearances and crime in Coahuila came to a halt before it had really begun. The officials in charge of investigating Valentin’s murder took a similar approach; in failing to adequately investigate the case, Valentín’s murder remains unsolved and his attackers free.

The young journalist left behind an aging mother and a sick father. Valentín’s father, who had suffered from diabetes and was on dialysis, died soon after the death of his beloved son, who had become his caretaker. Valentín's mother, María del Carmen, keeps pictures of her son up in her room, keeping his joyful smile in her heart and his hopeful mantra in her mind: mañana será otro día, mamá, mañana saldrá el sol.  

Guerrero: Using spot reporting to minimize the risk

The indices of violence in the state of Guerrero are among the highest in México, and journalists have been a particular target of that violence. In one recent example, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported that the small community of reporters who covered organized crime in Iguala dwindled after journalist Pablo Morrugares’s 2020 murder, evidently for his reporting about organized crime. It is perhaps, then, unsurprising that reporters take into account questions of personal security when reporting on enforced disappearances in the state.

Characteristic of the media reports on disappearances in this region is spot reporting or notas rojas, mentioned in the introduction to this section. When reported as notas rojas, disappearances are portrayed as singular crimes, removed from the context in which they occurred, presented as being one-off tragedies in a country that has known all too well the realities of the widespread, systemic nature of disappearances.  

One reporter in Guerrero, (“Esther”), portrayed for us the very real limitations faced by journalists working in this state. Reflecting on her time at a local newspaper, Esther remarked that “there are many things that are not investigated here… Violence here is no small thing and has obligated reporters to take many precautions.” Such precautions, Esther noted, have influenced the reporting done on disappearances such that, when reporting on Amber Alerts, reporters seldom undertake further investigation into the cases, unless it “draws a lot of attention.” 

Questions of readership and profitability additionally influence which stories are pursued. When speaking about which variables influence the editorial decisions at her news outlet, Esther noted that she detected a change in its guiding principles, which affected the information and stories it published. 

For those reporters living in areas with high levels of violence and working for companies whose interests are influenced by political and economic concerns, covering unpopular stories that highlight both human rights violations and the state’s role in their perpetuation is difficult, if not impossible, and has consequences that undermine victims’ and society’s right to the truth. 

Nuevo Leon: Putting a face on disappearance victims

As early as 2004, Daniel de la Fuente, a reporter for the variety section of El Norte, began to put a human face on violence in the region. He felt an obligation to use his tools and power as a reporter to draw attention to the violence and the human stories behind it. Through his reporting, de la Fuente hopes to combat the notas rojas phenomenon, instead contextualizing disappearances and violent crimes within a larger framework of human rights violations, raising collective awareness and, most importantly, telling the stories of the victims and their loved ones.  De la Fuente offered his perspective on why some cases receive more news coverage than others, noting that the degree of mobilization of the victim's family increases visibility in the news and  the public's interest level in a story depends on the socioeconomic class of the victim (Interview, July 9, 2019).

In his own reporting, de la Fuente humanized the victims through storytelling, describing for readers the emotional trauma experienced by family members who were reeling from disappearances, and painting a picture of the personality of disappeared individuals. In his article, Marineros en Tierra, published by El Norte in January 2012, the storytelling skills of de la Fuente are visible. His coverage of the disappearance of two taxi drivers begins with an emotional scene in which Jesús Victor sees his son, Junior, being taken away in a caravan of military vehicles. Jesús courageously runs up to the military officer who has taken his son captive, exemplifying the bravery assumed by family members of the disappeared and their feelings of desperation as they struggle against and reckon with the reality of having a loved one disappear. Reporting that focused on the humanity and powerful emotions of victims themselves provided a counterpoint to the dominant narrative of Mexican authorities -- broadcast by many media outlets -- that the disappeared were bad apples themselves, linked to organized crime, enemies of their communities, and responsible for their own fate. 

In Marineros en Tierra, de la Fuente also profiles the perpetrators in a disappearance case, giving special attention and emphasis to the role of naval officers in depriving Junior and others of their liberty. By describing how Junior was covered with a sheet and beaten by his captors, de la Fuente highlighted the role of the state in orchestrating disappearances; a journalistic move that many reporters working in Nuevo Leon at the time might not have risked. The omnipresence and abusive power of the military was apparent in de la Fuente’s reporting on the nighttime visit by military officials to Junior’s brother, and other threats to victims.

In focusing on the experiences of one father and the search for his son, de la Fuente draws the reader into the personal suffering of the families of the disappeared. The reader accompanies Jesús as he questions public authorities about the whereabouts of his son and weeps at the sight of the daughter Junior left behind. De la Fuente’s characterization of the young man who the Navy disappeared and the father who searched for him provided the public with a firsthand understanding about the human toll of disappearances.

Especially in the peak years of violence in Nuevo Leon, de la Fuente and other journalists had to consider questions of security when covering disappearances and violent crimes. De la Fuente explained to us that the stress of covering is intense; before the publication of any article, he and his coworkers have to think about the potential effects on both reporters and victims. Between 2009-12, according to de la Fuente, “You had to go to the neighborhoods, you had to go to the municipalities, to the rural areas. And then those routes, and that talking and asking about information from neighbors and acquaintances is where you can suddenly put yourself at risk.” (Interview, July 9, 2019).

In 2012, De la Fuente assisted with a special report published in three major news outlets, El Norte, La Reforma and Mural, which covered a series of disappearance cases that typified the nature of the crimes being carried out in Nuevo Leon.  The report relied on the cooperation of the organization CADHAC, its director, Sr. Consuelo Morales, and the cases its lawyers had investigated.  The series had an important impact on public opinion, according to De la Fuente, “it shocked and outraged, it made visible that  none of these cases was resolved, none of those people returned.”  The series underscored the impunity inherent in the wave of disappearances.  De la Fuente reflected, “How difficult, how difficult this issue of doing journalism but not seeing concrete consequences in favor of families.” (Interview, July 9, 2019)

El Norte, in continuation of its efforts to draw attention to violence in Mexico and situate disappearances and other crimes within a larger context of human rights violations, published a multimedia project called La decada roja, in 2016. Highlighting trends in murders and disappearances since 2006.  Along with the 2012 series, this project was emblematic of best practices in watchdog journalism on the issues of disappearances. In addition to highlighting specific cases of violence, the reporting situated them within a broader context, bringing to light the endemic nature of human rights violations and the culpability of public officials and state actors in carrying out or covering up the crimes.

Collectives

Journalism in Mexico extends beyond the traditional news outlets and is additionally characterized and enriched by independent collectives that work to call attention to corruption, human rights abuses, impunity, and disappearances. The work of the journalists that make up these collectives is invaluable in raising consciousness of human rights violations in Mexico and in decriminalizing victims of such crimes.   

Zona Docs: Periodismo en Resistencia

Zona Docs is an independent journalist collective that operates in Guadalajara, Jalisco which was established as an independent entity in 2017. Its members, Darwin Franco, Dalia Souza, Ximena Torres, Aletse Torres, Samantha Anaya and Christian Cantero, undertake the investigative and documentary reporting they do from a human rights perspective, taking as their ethical and normative base the Universal Declaration on Human Rights from the United Nations. The reporting done by Zona Docs focuses on systemic issues and on those who have been victimized by them. Understanding the centrality of accessible, transparent reporting in the maintenance of democracy and freedom, Zona Docs denounces injustices, calls attention to issues that may otherwise be left out of mainstream discourse, and highlights movements that look to support the defence and universal enjoyment of human rights. 

The work done by Zona Docs has garnered attention from local and international organizations. In 2019, this collective was awarded two awards for journalism in Jalisco in the categories chronicles and students. In 2020, Zona Docs was recognized by Google News Initiative and Seattle International Foundation for their reporting. Aiming to increase their reach and work with other news organizations committed to promoting human rights through the visualization and denouncement of crimes, Zona Docs is a member of the Periodistas de a Pie network. 

Quinto Elemento

An independent, non-profit organization, those at Quinto Elemento use their investigative reporting to empower citizens, strengthen accountability in Mexico, and facilitate the construction of a more just and transparent society. Quinto Elemento promises to deliver independent, honest reporting that is not influenced by outside causes or political interests.  

Team members Alejandra Xanic, Armando Talamantes, Andrea Cárdenas, Efrían Tzuc, Ruth Muñiz, Marcela Turati, and Diana Partida Arteaga promise to “rummage around where one should not be,” to “go through that which has been hidden in the closet” and to provide the people of Mexico with a more informed understanding of the communities and country in which they live.An understanding which can then be used in the construction of a better society. Such a promise is no small thing, especially in Mexico, given the many risks and violence that journalists face when carrying out their work. 

Periodistas de a pie

A civil society organization composed primarily of female journalists, Periodistas de a Pie, was founded in 2007 with the intention to put a human face to human rights violations. Today, the organization looks to elevate the quality of independent journalism in Mexico through education of journalists, the collection of information on human rights, creation of databases, and collaboration among reporters that supports the exchange of investigation techniques, experiences, and narrative styles. With the mission of using journalism to protect and advocate for human rights, Periodistas de a Pie supports reporting on, investigations into, and denouncements of human rights abuses, their perpetrators, and their causes. 

The evolution of Periodistas de a pie is marked by and reflects the danger that journalists in Mexico face. In 2010, when violence against journalists became systematic, Periodistas transformed into a civil society organization dedicated to promoting the safety and protection of journalists across the country. The organization has grown over the years, looking to meet the needs of journalists who often find themselves working with great vulnerability. Maintaining alliances with more than 80 organizations, Periodistas continues to support, educate, and connect journalists across Mexico. 

To underscore the importance of journalism in the current moment, Periodistas has launched its Periodismo campaign. This campaign highlights the protective role that independent, investigative journalism plays in the construction of a transparent society and is conceived of as an antidote to corruption, evasion, the criminalization of victims, organized crime, and silence, among other things. Facilitating collaboration among independent journalists, working for their protection, and collecting information for use by journalists, Periodistas de a pie plays a foundational role in supporting independent, critical journalism across Mexico.