Current Events

The film “Reporterto”, shows the challenges journalists face for exposing the truth on what happens in Mexico. In 1980, the country was being run by the PRI party which had ruled local governments like fiefdoms. The government controlled the press. There were independent journalists that were repressed. The newspaper is being controlled by businessmen and the government which is why journalists were not able to write what they witnessed with their own eyes. Zeta is a newspaper in Tijuana known for publishing narco related stories and for exposing what the government is doing wrong, intentionally or unintentionally. Blancornelas, who is the co-founder of the Zeta magazine, decided to print in California insead of Mexico to maintain their freedom of speech. They import the magazines to Mexico and many people would buy them because they enjoyed reading that type of information. Journalist, Hector Felix Miranda who is the co-founder of Zeta, liked to mock politicians and many people liked him because he would always state the truth. Hector said, “My work in Zeta is proof that freedom of expression exists in Mexico.” Jorge Hank is one of the most powerful men in Mexico and he is connected to political power. Hector would write bad about Jorge Hank. On April 20th, Hector was murdered by Hank’s head of security. Hank was never investigated. Drug trafficking began to grow in the early 90’s. Cartels in Mexico are very dangerous and powerful. Many journalists choose not to publish narco related stories because it is very risky and their lives can be put in danger. There are some journalists that decide to investigate narco trafficking because they see that it is a real problem going in Mexico. Blancornelas was the first person to survive an assassination attempt after ten people surrounded him to shoot him. Those ten people work for the Arellano Felix Brothers who came to Tijuana and became one of Mexico’s biggest most powerful organized crime. Benjamin is another journalist who was shot and murdered by other cartel members. Benjamin’s murder ended up in jail but for other charges such as murdering a cop and trafficking drugs but he ended up free. The justice system in Mexico is corrupt. Narcotrafficking gained power over the police and justice power. Blancornelas wanted to stop putting his journalist in danger so they decided that if any articles included pictures or sensitive information it would have a collective by line, “Zeta Investigation.”