Silence or Death?

Today I went to a presentation by journalist Luis Horacio Najera titled "Silence or Death: Journalism in the Context of Mexico's Drug War."

Najera began by talking about many problems in the world today, specifically in North and South America. He talked about cocaine consumption, and although it went down in the U.S. after 9/11, it is still a major problem. He also talked about firearm abuse and homicide problems.

The purpose of bringing all of this up was to make a point about how so many journalists are threatened, beaten, or put in danger while on the job. Between 1992 and 2012, 257 journalists were murdered. One of them was a friend of Najera. He found police officers drinking with gangsters and took pictures. They then proceeded to beat him.

He shared with us the following quote: "Journalism is an unappeasable passion that can be assimilated and humanized only through stark confrontation with reality."

He then asked us, "Are you prepared to die for this?"

That really made me think. Should journalists all over the world risk their lives just to get a story that will entertain the public for a few minutes? Is it really worth it?

I know that for me personally, I would not be willing to risk my life for a story. While I do enjoy journalism, it is not THAT important to me. However, if others are willing to put themselves in that position, then I completely respect their decision. If journalists did not risk their lives for stories, then we would not have a lot of the news that we do today. I don't think most people realize the danger and risk that journalists put themselves in. I don't think most people realize what life would be like without journalists.

After the presentation, I felt a lot more appreciation for journalists around the world today and for those who have been injured or died on the job. They have bravery and courage that not many do. They were prepared to die for their duty. They were prepared to die for what they truly loved. And that is something that we will never be able to repay them for.