Mexico: Three Kidnapped Journalists Freed

Facts

• Mexican authorities announced Sunday that three journalists who were recently kidnapped in the southern state of Guerrero had been freed without being harmed by their captors.¹
• Silvia Arce and Alberto Sanchez of the digital platform RedSiete were abducted from their workplace in the tourist town of Taxco last week.²
• El Espectador weekly's editor, Marco Antonio Toledo, and his wife Guadalupe Denova were kidnapped on Sunday, along with their son whose whereabouts are yet unknown.³
• The Guerrero attorney general's office said the search was still on for Toledo's son, with the Mexican army, police, and national guard making all efforts to track him.⁴
• None of the three journalists were reportedly safeguarded under the Mexican government's protection mechanism. The legislation is designed to protect the safety of journalists.⁵
• Mexico is considered one of the most dangerous places on the globe for journalists, with more than 150 killed since 2000.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²TSC News Channel, ³Barron's, ⁴Al Jazeera, ⁵RSF and ⁶VOA.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Los Angeles Times. Clearly, the Mexican government's program of providing bodyguards and other security measures for journalists who face threats has failed. Protocols to secure and investigate crimes against media members haven't been taken seriously. A key reason for the continuing problem is inaction against the perpetrators, which conveys that eliminating journalists is easy and free of repercussions.
• Narrative B, as provided by Ethical Journalism Network. Like other areas of power in Mexico, organized crime has seeped into considerable sections of the media, too. This has made identifying aggressive and effective journalists easy, especially in provincial areas of the country. It's vital to spread more in-depth and contextual information, which helps strengthen the public's confidence. This action is vital to support the institution of journalism in Mexico.

Predictions