Mexican Journalists Face Record Levels of Harassment, Intimidation and Violence in 2022
Mexican journalists have faced unprecedented levels of harassment, intimidation, and violence in 2022, according to an annual report by the free speech group Article 19. The report documents nearly 700 crimes against media workers, which is the highest number since the group started keeping records in 2007. This means that there was nearly one attack against a journalist every 13 hours. The report highlights that Mexican journalists are not only killed but also systematically and recurrently intimidated and silenced through harassment, stigmatization, threats, and the illegitimate use of public power.
The report found that state actors and security forces were responsible for more than 40 percent of the aggressions against media workers. Of those cases, more than half involved reporters exploring issues of corruption. Ultimately, 12 journalists were murdered in 2022, tying with 2017 for the most lethal year on record.
The most common form of harassment over the last three years was “intimidation and harassment”, according to the report. An estimated 181 cases were recorded in 2022 alone. The violence against the press mirrored larger issues of violence and human rights abuses in Mexico. Overall, 2022 marked an “unimaginable milestone” for human rights violations, with more than 100,000 people recorded as missing as of May 2022.
In Tuesday’s report, Article 19 regional director Leopoldo Maldonado criticized failed government efforts to ensure security and justice for reporters amid the deteriorating conditions. He called progress on the issue “almost nonexistent”. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been criticized in the past for his antagonistic relationship with the Mexican press. The report accuses Lopez Obrador of contributing to a hostile atmosphere for reporters through “threats, intimidation, and harassment”.
Lopez Obrador’s administration has been accused of using Pegasus surveillance technology, developed by the Israeli NSO Group, to spy on journalists and human rights advocates. However, Lopez Obrador has also criticized the use of such technology. In July 2021, the British newspaper The Guardian revealed that Lopez Obrador and his close allies had potentially been targeted using the spyware. An estimated 15,000 Mexican phone numbers were reported to be compromised, including those of 25 Mexican journalists. The NSO Group has been at the center of the debate about commercial spyware being used to target political dissent, and the group was sanctioned by the United States in 2021.
In conclusion, the report by Article 19 highlights the dire situation for Mexican journalists who face unprecedented levels of harassment, intimidation, and violence in 2022. The report calls for urgent action to ensure security and justice for reporters amid the deteriorating conditions. It also highlights the larger issues of violence and human rights abuses in Mexico, which have reached an “unimaginable milestone” in 2022. The report accuses the Mexican government of contributing to a hostile atmosphere for reporters through “threats, intimidation, and harassment” and calls for urgent action to address this issue.