Mexicoisoneoftheworld’smostdangerouscountriesforjournalists.Butcourageousreporterscontinuetodotheirworkregardless;withoutthepresstherewouldbenoonerevealingtheextenttowhichcrimeandpoliticsareintermingled.Thejudicialsystemhidesbehindclaimsofinsufficientevidencetoprosecutecrimes,whilejournalistsaretheoneswhoprovidesuchevidence.
　　InStateofSilencefourjournalistsdiscusstheirwork.Oneoftheminvestigatesillegalloggingandenvironmentalpollution,whileanotherwritesaboutpoliceviolenceagainstmigrantsattemptingtocrosstheborder.Therisksaregreat,andthreatsarecommonplace.Almost200reportershavedisappearedorbeenmurderedsince2000.
　　AlawwaspassedunderPresidentLópezObradorenablingjournalistsandhumanrightsactiviststoseekrefugeintheUS—butdoesn’tleavingeverythingthatyoulovebehindyou,meanthecriminalshavewon?SomeofthejournalistsreturntoMexicobecausetheirworkistooimportant.“Whenajournalistismurdered,”saysoneofthem,“society’srighttobeinformeddies,too.”