Keeping the free press alive….
Some developments on the struggle to keep the Mexican press free… and alive.
In Sinaloa, the Reporters’ unions are demanding federal action in response to last week’s Army standoff (and beatings) at El Debate.
In Coahuila, “perioricidio” has been added to the criminal code. Under the legal theory that an attack on a journalist is an attack on civil society as a whole, killing a journalist has been made a separate crime than just ordinary murder and deserves a stiff sentence — 60 years.
in the Senate, PAN (yes… PAN!!) has proposed a “Ley de la Libertad de Conciencia de los Profesionales de la Información” which would codify both the citizen’s right to receive information, and the journalist’s right to provide it.
in the last year — February 2007 to February 2008 — fifteen reporters were murdered, and there were 219 cases of death threats, extortion attempts or attacks on journalists in Mexico.
Excellent use of the emoticon! Most excellent.
Gawd, I hate those stupid smiley face things — gotta remember to use dashes and not parends for the rest of the year