Manifesto: Enough with violence against journalists

We who sign this document and work in media and news outlets across the country consider that:

1.- Despite the reforms issued between 2006 and 2015, the Mexican justice system both, at a local and Federal level, has been surpassed by the violence against the press which not only attacks journalism but hinders its mission of preserving the right of the society to know, a key factor in consolidating democracy. This institutional weakness also stretches to the specialized prosecuting offices and ad hoc mechanisms created by the states and the Government of the Republic. Attacks continue taking place without almost virtually no responsible being brought to justice, which feeds the incentives of violence and impunity. Organized crime is nullifying the right of freedom of speech in entire regions of the country where journalists are not only being silenced but used now as couriers to deliver messages from criminals. And that's not all, it's terrible that public officers from the three levels of Government are part of the attackers. Given this scenario, Mexico is in dire need of Governors, legislators, prosecutors, judges, cops, and other officials who are more committed to the need of providing protection strategies. This commitment is demanded to the Federal Government, State Governments, and Municipal Governments, the latter being the first to ensure the safety of journalists.

2.- We consider that we, as news outlets, have to assume as part of our responsibilities specific actions pertaining to our powers and capacities, gathering all the experience gained in our country and by the sector and unions in countries such as the United States, Colombia, Brazil, or Argentina. We have to make our own contribution to protect journalists and news outlets and provide a better follow-up to the cases affected by impunity – mainly the most symbolic ones.

The same legal grounds which describe the obligations of the States regarding the protection of journalists call the companies of this sector to provide their people with training, social security, adequate wages, and life insurance. It's essential to mention the need of strengthening ethical standards and mechanisms of institutions during the exercise of journalism within wide sectors of our business and union reality. Poor working conditions, lack of training and ethical decline of the profession are, by themselves, high-risk factors.

The signatories herein have reached the following:

AGREEMENTS

1.- Develop a joint strategy which enables our effective involvement in the prevention of violence against journalists and news outlets, regardless of the origin of the attacks and their modality, given the list of possible attacks includes physical attacks, damages to property, legal actions, cyber attacks, censorship, coercion, and manipulation of public opinion. The existence of an outline for our actions, an effective coordination, and unity as a fundamental value for this initiative shall determine its evolution and results.

2.- Form a Work Group with executives and news outlets to establish the actions to be taken on the short, medium, and long terms, as well as concrete goals we have to achieve as media sector and professional union.

3.- Said Work Group shall be allowed to establish committees or deputy committees with the support of other media corporations, represented or nor by the signatories, to develop concrete projects aligned with an overview. Likewise, establish communication channels with national and international institutions on human rights, similarly to other institutions or unions of the sector, to request their support, require contact with other entities and, overall, obtain feedback to help us achieve our established goals.

4.-Launch a joint campaign aimed at the general public, to fight with transparency and share our views on the challenge ahead of us. The most vital of our alliances is with the communities we serve. The fight against impunity will only be effective if we have on our side a society who knows that with every journalist killed, their right to know, their right to participate, their very essence, is being taken away from them.

Signatories:

AM

AEE

CUARTOSCURO

EL DEBATE

EL DIARIO DE CHIHUAHUA

EL DIARIO MX

DIARIO DE MORELOS

DIARIO DE YUCATÁN

EL ECONOMISTA

EL FINANCIERO

EL HERALDO

EL IMPARCIAL

EL IMPARCIAL – OAXACA

EL SIGLO DE TORREÓN

EL UNIVERSAL

EXCELSIOR

FRONTERA

HIDROCÁLIDO

GRUPO FORMULA

IMAGEN

GRUPO MILENIO

GRUPO RADIO CENTRO

LA JORNADA

LA SILLA ROTA

LA RAZÓN

LA VOZ

MEDIOS MASIVOS MEXICANOS

MVS

NEXOS

NOTICIAS

DEM

PUBLIMETRO

PROCESO

RÍO DOCE

TELEVISA

TV AZTECA

UNIVISIÓN

EL MEXICANO

EXPRESSO

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