Source: Greenwich Time
To the editor:
For the past year as executive editor of The Beak, I witnessed both the good and bad of Greenwich High School’s student newspaper. But in my capacity, I never had the opportunity to assess it in a public forum and especially wouldn’t be allowed to criticize it. (Continue Reading)
By Sonia Corona*
Mexico is the most dangerous place in the American continent to work as a journalist, according to Reporters without Borders. I’m from Mexico, I chose journalism as a career and I was censored last year. It has been hard to stand for my decision of becoming a journalist, but it has been even harder to see my country doesn’t respect my rights and Mexican citizens don’t care about theirs.
I joined my university student paper in 2004. Back then, I was completely convinced that as a reporter, I had the obligation to inform my community and to do my job the best I could. I knew professional journalist were being killed and several cases of censorship were taking place in those years, so I decided to study abroad and learn more about journalism, film and TV production to make sure that I took the right decision.
I went to the U.S. and learned about the First Amendment. Mexico has laws that protect freedom of speech, but I realized that if a constitution protects this right, it also guarantees the right of the people to be informed. When I got back to Mexico at the end of 2005, more censorship cases started to emerge in my country.
The Lost Battles
Three stories about censorship shaped my opinion that human rights’ violations are quite common in Mexico. Moreover, I also noticed Mexicans don’t care about these cases because they ignore their rights, or think these are lost battles.
A ring of power
In 2005, journalist Lydia Cacho wrote a book about a child abuse ring in which several entrepreneurs were involved. Cacho was jailed without warning and was taken by police from Quintana Roo, in southeast Mexico, to Puebla in Central Mexico. Two months later, a recording was broadcast nationwide in which the governor of Puebla, Mario Marin had agreed with one of the entrepreneurs involved in Cacho’s book to accuse and apprehend her for libel. The journalist got out from jail and took a plaintiff to the Mexican Supreme Court for violation of human rights and exercise of press. The Court decided the governor’s actions didn’t not violate the law. The governor is still in office, although his abuse of authority and the allegations on Cacho’s book have not been proven false.
Editorial differences
Carmen Aristegui was one of the journalist who decided to broadcast the recordings of the governor in her radio show. Her show gained popularity because the she presented stories that were usually omitted in mainstream media, and offered the audience investigative reports and debates on political issues. The show was broadcast nationally until the beginning of this year.
In January, the owners of the station thar produced Aristegui’s show asked her to leave the station because of “editorial differences”. However, Aristegui said the owners considered her “too critical” of the government, because she presented the point of views of the political opposition. After she left the radio show, the ratings of the radio station fell down. She still hosts an interview show on CNN en Espanol and writes a column for a national newspaper.
Close to home
I was also censored. I was a staff member of the student newspaper La Catarina for three years. While working in this newspaper, I learned how to work as a reporter and news editor, but I also learned how to stand for my freedom of speech.
In 2007, the paper was closed under false justifications, two weeks later it was re-opened. Four months after the re-opening, the staff was entirely replaced by the university administration. This is the short version of what happened in my university’s campus, what our readers could see, what we let pass by.
What they saw was not all that happen.
During La Catarina’s censorship, I wanted to stress out that censorship is not only an authority closing a paper, firing journalists or suing them. It goes further than that. It’s a matter of human rights of journalists and audiences too.
The student newspaper staff had to stand the pressure of the university’s administration before closing the paper. Carmen Aristegui had to go through the pressure of government and Lydia Cacho had to stand the pressure of entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, the audiences stopped receiving news.
The audience usually doesn’t notice the hard times journalists go through. In most cases in Mexico, people hear about journalists who were censored, but never take a minute to think how can they help to stop it.
People, as well as journalists, can stop censorship. If they demand their right to be informed, these cases could decrease. They should ask their representatives in Congress for better laws on human rights and keep their government, entrepreneurs and school officials accountable.
Mexico is still a dangerous place to be a journalist. Despite of what I have seen and gone through, I know that still can change. I am willing to work as a journalist because I want to defend my right to work as one, but also to stand for my rights as a citizen.
*Sonia is a former information editor, opinion editor, reporter, photographer and columnist of student newspaper La Catarina. She attended Texas Christian University and The American University as an exchange program student. She is graduating from UDLA, Mexico on April 2008.
By Astrid Viveros*
On January 2006, La Catarina, the college newspaper I worked for, was forced to stop publishing accurate, true stories that were labeled as overly critical. I naively thought Mexican media would have an instant uproar for such atrocity. We received support from a couple of local newspapers but were criticized by many others. We were portrayed in stories and articles as young troublemakers looking for attention, students trying to spoil the good name of one of Mexico’s finest universities.
However, we brushed the criticisms away and reminded ourselves we were fighting for a right cause: freedom of speech. After a couple of weeks of reaching out to national and international media, the administration caved in and we were able to publish our newspaper again. After this incident, I can proudly say that La Catarina saw some of the best work in it’s history.
I graduated that semester thinking the worst was over. Unfortunately, the last issue I worked on was also the last real newspaper issue La Catarina would see. In autumn 2006, the newspaper where I had found my passion for journalism was taken over by students who were happy to work on the stolen project the university handed to them. The censorship of La Catarina was old news, there wasn’t as much reactions as there had been in January, the university had its way.
To this day, the newspaper remains printing it’s weekly issue but with very different editorial guidelines. This incident showed me that justice doesn’t always prevail. Not a week goes by where I wonder if I could have done more to prevent the censorship and eventual dissolution of La Catarina. I have spent many hours going through everything that happened and looking for the solution that was needed a year and a half ago. In the end, I have to remind myself that it was neither my friends’ fault nor mine that we lost the newspaper.
As history has proven, not often tyrants with political and economic power fail to get their way. I realize now this is why we remember and glorify people who are the exception to this rule. I don’t wish to end this opinion so negatively. After all, I gained some of the most valuable lessons in my life due to this experience.
I see my fellow Catarina staff members as people that I would trust my life with; peers who I know would never turn their back on me or on any righteous cause. I learned that a small victory can give a soul endless fuel to keep fighting for what it believes in.
I realized this experience has left me with the responsibility to improve the conditions of free speech in my country and the world. But above all, I personally experienced that when you are fighting for a just cause, even when you do not succeed or get what you or society deserved, you can be at peace with your soul and character knowing that you gave all of your heart to help the world become a better place.
*Astrid worked as a reporter and columnist for student newspaper La Catarina. She graduated from University of the Americas, Mexico, and Texas Christian University. She now works as a TV producer for a broadcast network in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
BOOKS
College Newspaper Survival Guide: (Rachele Kanigel) A textbook with tips to manage a student newspaper from all perspectives: editing, reporting, administrating, advising and even avoiding censorship. Perfect to kick start a college publication.
Manufacturing Consent: (Noam Chomsky) If you think media’s only objective is to inform and entertain, you might want to read this book before start working for a big broadcasting or publishing corporation. Chomsky gives a in-depth analysis of the relationship between mass media, economy and agenda setting of social issues and phenomena. After reading this book, you’ll realize nothing is what it seems.
1984: (George Orwell) Have you ever heard the phrase “Big brother is watching”? It has its origins way back before the reality show. This classic novel by George Orwell presented a not-so-optimistic scenery of what the world in 1984 would look like. Maybe Orwell’s prediction failed in comparison to the real age, but year after year, it’s seems the world is basing its future on his doomsday stage.
MOVIES
Note: The information below is not a collection of movie reviews, just a collection of lessons I learned after watching them.
All the President’s Men: (Alan J. Pakula) If you want to win the Pulitzer you’ll have to cross out every name on the list. Even professional reporters eat junk food and sleep with their work clothes on. Flirting is the best way to get confidential facts. Impossible is nothing in journalism.
Shattered Glass: (Billy Ray) Editors are not so bad. After watching this movie, I regained my faith in them. Now I’m loosing my faith in good and witty reporters, specially those who are skinny and appear to be shy. Fact checking is everything. In real life, retractions don’t make you smile. I would never go back to school to show off my success to my journalism teachers.
The Paper: (Ron Howard) If you’re having a baby, don’t cover the “Justice” beat. Always peek at the editor’s desk when he/she’s not looking. Always remember the reason you wanted to be a journalist.
The Pelican Brief: (Alan J. Pakula) You need to start learning lawyers jargon. Everything you need to do a great story might be hidden in the shelves of the public library. Open records rule!
Good night and good luck: (George Clooney) Don’t marry a coworker, especially if you work in broadcasting news. All the cool people were communists in the 50’s. I wish someday I’ll be in a crazy public figure’s blacklist (I think I’m already in one, but I’m not sure).
Source: ACLU Southern California
A lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Southern California on behalf of student journalists in Bakersfield fighting to have their stories about gay students at their high school published in the school’s newspaper moved to deposition stage in late August. (Continued)
Source: The A&T Register
By Shauntel Lowe (Black college wire)
A Howard University policy board decided that the print edition of the student newspaper will not be published for the rest of the school year, but the paper will continue publishing online as the staff tries to dig itself out of a financial crisis. (Continued)
Source: The Korean Times
By Park Si-soo
A group of professors opposing President Lee Myung-bak’s cross-country canal project condemned the government for putting what they call clandestine censorship on anti-canal campaigners. (Continued)
Source: The Charlatan newspaper
by Laura Di Mascio
The University of Ottawa Engineering Students’ Society (ESS) may find itself without funding after its members published an article that critics said incites violence against women, and has raised the ire of students and university officials.
