June 7. Freedom of Expression Day in Mexico. In theory, a day to celebrate. In practice, a date stained with black ink, forced silence, and all too often, blood. Journalism in Mexico is not at risk: it is under siege. By cartels. By political powers. By impunity. By social indifference. And increasingly, by algorithms that decide what should and shouldn’t be said.
While Brussels debates the ethical boundaries of artificial intelligence in misinformation, in Sinaloa, Guerrero, or Veracruz, a journalist can be executed for saying too much—or simply for doing their job well. This is not hyperbole. This is Mexico. A country where practicing journalism often means walking without a bulletproof vest in hostile territory (Reporteros Sin Fronteras, 2024).
Mexico: A Mass Grave for Journalists
Since 2000, more than 160 journalists have been murdered in the country, according to figures from Article 19. And that’s only the official count. Many others have been silenced by threats, disappearances, forced displacement, or voluntary exile. In 2023, Mexico was, for the fifth consecutive year, the deadliest country for journalists in peacetime (Artículo 19, 2024).
Mexican journalists live with fear—but also with rage. Because they know that without them, democracy is just an empty word, a simulation in press conferences and manipulated trending topics. As UNESCO warns, “the impunity of crimes against journalists fuels further attacks and erodes press freedom” (UNESCO, 2023).
The Triple Threat: Narco, Power, and Digital Censorship
Today, the enemy of journalism is not just the narco or the corrupt politician. It’s also artificial intelligence capable of replicating fake news on an industrial scale; it’s Big Data profiling readers to lock them in ideological bubbles; it’s the digital fear of disappearing from the algorithm for not saying the “right thing” (Bradshaw et al., 2024). Journalists and media outlets are trapped between telling what sells and silencing what matters. And in that game, the citizen loses.
The rise of generative AI and automated bots has facilitated the spread of false narratives disguised as journalism, diluting the voice of the ethical human journalist (Newton, 2024).
Freedom Without Protection Is Russian Roulette
Journalism is the oxygen of democracies. But in Mexico, journalists have no oxygen tanks. They have broken pencils, silenced microphones, and a target on their backs. State protection mechanisms are insufficient and often ineffective—or even colluded with the very threats journalists face (CIDH, 2023).
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico has noted that the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists suffers from structural delays, lack of resources, and a severe trust deficit among its beneficiaries (ONU-DH, 2023).
What Do You Do When Truth Gets You Killed?
The question is brutal. But necessary. Journalists in Mexico face an existential dilemma: remain silent and survive, or speak up and risk everything. The answer cannot come only from the profession. It must come from a society that relearns to value truth, from a state that stops simulating protection, and from an international community that refuses to let Mexico become a mass grave for press freedom (Inter American Press Association, 2024).
As the Inter-American Court of Human Rights emphasizes, “freedom of expression is not just an individual right but an essential pillar of democratic systems” (CIDH, 2023). Without it, corruption grows, crime becomes entrenched, and impunity becomes institutionalized.
Final Words: Journalism Asks No Permission
Journalism does not beg. It does not ask for permission. Journalism disrupts, reveals, denounces, hurts, and transforms. On this June 7, Freedom of Expression Day, we don’t need flowers. We need justice. We don’t want posthumous tributes. We want living journalists. We’re not seeking applause at forums. We want truths that unsettle the halls of power.
Because as long as there is one journalist in Mexico daring to write what others keep silent, democracy—though wounded—still breathes.
References
- Artículo 19. (2024). Informe Anual 2023: Libertades en resistencia.
- Bradshaw, S., Bailey, H., & Howard, P. N. (2024). Industrialized Disinformation 2024 Global Report. Oxford Internet Institute.
- Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH). (2023). Informe Anual sobre Libertad de Expresión.
- Inter American Press Association (IAPA). (2024). Threats to Press Freedom in the Americas.
- Newton, C. (2024). AI and the Death of Authentic News. Columbia Journalism Review.
- ONU-DH. (2023). Observaciones sobre la Protección a Personas Periodistas en México.
- Reporteros Sin Fronteras. (2024). Clasificación Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa 2024.
- UNESCO. (2023). World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development.