The locals ARE the media

I have always wondered how people can take out their cameras in the middle of a shooting, a war, or even an event that could get them killed in any second. There was a documentary on National Geographic channel about the drug war in Mexico. This war has a different feeling that the war overseas because Mexico is the border country to United States. Better yet the state that borders Mexico is the state I live in, Texas. The show was letting the audience know how people got killed and the different problems that the country is encountering within and internationally. What caught my eye about the show was that the people that report about the crimes that the Cartel does, are the people that live on that street that the crime happens on.

Those cruel shooting are not recorded or reported by regular professional reporters. The reason is because the Cartel will figure out who wrote an article about it and showed the world the horrific “accomplishments” the Cartel does. Which will get that reporter/writer hurt or their loved ones kidnapped, mistreated, or even worse killed.

The quality of the video may not be the best out there but the image of what is seen is what people want to know. It is the best we can get without risking lives of the professional media that can be easily spotted by the Cartel. The only way to have a successful report (meaning the subject is put out there and there is no harm caused by it) is to keep that random person’s identity private. “Unknown” would be the best name for a reporter to have if they are going to investigate this drug war in Mexico. People with a lot of power can find that person’s identity and location easier than the victim’s own family.

Media is very important around the world but without safety there is nothing. About sixty reporters have been killed since 2000 in Mexico. Without the media and news, the people all over the world would be clueless in what is going on the other side. We owe a lot to the local people in those towns for recording videos at their own risk. For this action the media is able to put those videos out there for people to watch and keep up. This lets the media be able to get a hold of the mediocre findings and publishing them without putting the professionals, trying to exploit the Cartel, in a dangerous position.