I'm constantly amazed at the bravery of journalists in Mexico. In the USA, we have to search hard to find the real news, because our corporate owned news organizations are essentially stenographers regurgitating press releases. Meanwhile in Mexico, even with the dangers they face, many Mexican journalists continue to investigate and publish the truth as they see it. The state probably looks at USA corporate media with envy and that's probably part of the reason they do very little to protect journalists.
In the United States when a journalist becomes involved in a story about someone or something the result is overwhelmingly a change in behavior of the person or the organization. In Mexico, and many other countries, the response is to "shoot the messenger". I read several Colombian and Mexican newspapers daily. I am amazed of the position of danger the journalists thrust themselves into as a profession daily.
What a great accounting of the dogged determination to get to a result. Media personalities here are more worried about their access to insider parties and social media clicks than attaining any real truth. I will order the book.
Since World War I, American journalism has been infiltrated by government political concerns, bribed with power and money and converted to being a governmental mouthpiece. Complete capitulation and independence destroyed. Television and radio integrity destroyed. Publishers reduced to under 10 companies through financial manipulations by new private equity company owners and newspaper advertising destroyed. Social media is now the news in it's censored digital forms. Violence is not needed now. Violence in the 60's and early 70's by the FBI and various directed police departments destroyed the real independent underground press whose accuracy has been confirmed with the passage of time. The onslaught was complete and the duration was long to destroy any whims and attempts to resurrect a true watchdog of the established order.
That is a pretty catastrophic take down of the U.S. media! I don't think it's quite as terrible as that although I certainly have some big critiques. But perhaps it needs a Foundation moment, setting up new on the edge and trying to get the new way to spread...
As a avid reader and participant in the underground media of the 60's and early 70's, the foundations it had established, it's extremely accurate reporting of history and politics and it's connection to self governing solutions, comparing it to the situation now is horrendous. I guess you need over 60 years of perspective to really see the differences. The takeover of the book industry and destruction of print is really depressing. A foundation moment and movement would have to start with dedicated servers and encrypted computers and communication devices to provide the most secure base of complying information. Now this sounds extremely paranoid but unfortunately it is just good sense. The attacks alone on the anti-Covid 19 vaccines doctors, supporting commentators and even Substack writers was incredible. Personal computer attacks, banking attacks and attacks on their medical licenses. Mainstream personal attacks were relentless and successful in convincing people that they were quacks and conspiracy nuts not to mention the attacks on anyone who refused the vaccine and the information was spread to your personal banks, churches and organizations you belonged to. And that is just one example. Even 60 years ago, information was passed on to any job you applied for. That information circulated for over 15 years. That in itself shows how the US government was completely unsettled by the political underpinnings of the underground journalism.
I knew you had some writing experience! I'd be interested in learning more about the alternative press in the 60s and 70s. Was that mainly in the alternative weeklies and that kind of thing?
The real alternative press grew out of various groups printing their own pamphlets in their garages using various types of offset printers and copiers, exploring every possible alternative to the established order of government, religion and culture. When I was sixteen, after leaving the church, due to my grandmother I became interested in the Industrial Workers of the World. The IWW encouraged followers to send in their ideas which were incorporated into their pamphlets without bylines or acknowledgement. The struggle against oppression was more important then the selfish claim of recognition, an excuse used by the New Left throughout the years. I became involved in other anarchist groups who incorporated ideas from everyone in the pamphlet. I was a good headline writer and the one I remember the most was The Violence of the Dollar and it's Unholy Priests.
The alternative weeklies grew out of this underground and were better financed. Also many of these weeklies had huge sexual content with pictures, personal ads and political comments. Many a newspaper box contain political weeklies and sex weeklies for usually 25 cents.
As the alternative press grew and consolidated into political publications because of the Vietnam War, the movement became more rigid and resistant to other ideas. Intolerance and paranoia became a norm especially after constant FBI and CIA attacks. The anti war movement became extremely intolerant of soldiers who joined the military but became very disillusioned by the war. Very difficult for those soldiers to receive counselling about their options in opposing the war while in the military. Beside the end of the Vietnam War, drugs played a key part in the destruction of the alternative press and movement. For me, my rebellion against God led to a very easy transition of rebelling against government and society.
The links below provide a detailed examination of the alternative press and movement-
Congratulations to Andrew Paxton. I ordered a copy and look forward to reading this University of North Carolina publication.
Thankyou Ioan for bringing Mexican Watchdogs to my attention and posting this exerpt. It reminds me of the debt that I owe to so many courageous Mexican journalists. This book of Andrew's will certainly remind the world of the important role that journalism plays in exposing the corruption of Politicians, Powerful conglomerates and narco-criminals. I could not have produced my own book on Drug Wars and Covert Netherworlds without the work of Mexican Journalists. My pesonal acknowledgement of their contribution was far too brief and understated when I wrote:
"For more than twenty years, the dangerous crime beats covered by many Mexican authors and journalists reported on what anthropologist Howard Campbell (2009) has astutely described as low-grade battle zones; many brave journalists and writers who have covered those events have been the principal inspiration and the key source of information for most of this book.
The chapters that follow would never have been possible without relying on the information and the insight first printed in Mexican newspapers and in online news portals by dozens of periodistas. The structure of this book and its description of cartel history are also guided by timeline descriptions I first read about in Mexican newspapers, magazines, and digital sites. In particular, chapters 4 and 5 have been inspired and informed by interactive pages and graphic timelines reproduced in national magazines and newspapers of record such as Proceso Seminario, La Jornada, Reforma/El Norte, and El Universal as well as others found on
several Internet portals.
The following chapters also incorporate many details and observations first described in influential regional papers and magazines such as Ríodoce and Noroeste in Sinaloa and Zeta Seminario in Tijuana. In particular, the news portals of Ríodoce, Sin Embargo, and Animal Político served as reliable sources and go-to sites to uncover basic information and to
Thanks much there Jim. It's notable that many Mexican journalistic reports about these clandestine organizations in the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s proved accurate over time and shows how many of these reporters from these communities really had their ears to the street and were plugged in with very good sources. All best there friend!
Man, this is brutal. It breaks my heart. Thank you for sharing this publication.
I ask myself - if Mexico exports so many people to cook good food in other countries, why can’t it import some good police from nations where governors don’t murder their own people? Our local police is too weak to get back on its feet.
Indeed it is heart breaking. That is an interesting thought about importing police. There are some efforts like bringing in foreign investigators for the Ayotzinapa case but I don't think that ultimately made some big difference. I could imagine a foreign U.N. force in some places co, but then the Mexican army can seem like the U.N. standing there between cartels at times. I guess the future would be in transformed Mexican law enforcement but it's an evasive goal.
I'm constantly amazed at the bravery of journalists in Mexico. In the USA, we have to search hard to find the real news, because our corporate owned news organizations are essentially stenographers regurgitating press releases. Meanwhile in Mexico, even with the dangers they face, many Mexican journalists continue to investigate and publish the truth as they see it. The state probably looks at USA corporate media with envy and that's probably part of the reason they do very little to protect journalists.
Yeah, it is an interesting comparison. Imagine that level of violence against US press, it would be hard to think of.
Ioan,
Thank you for your courage reporting truth to power with amazing historical evidence. We are in this together. No Kings. Peace.
Christopher and family
At its best it is still a great trade. Sad to say its often not at its best. Cheers there Christopher.
Iona- thank you for this review. Warzone journalist are true heroes.
Appreciated and "back at yer" Paul Grill!
In the United States when a journalist becomes involved in a story about someone or something the result is overwhelmingly a change in behavior of the person or the organization. In Mexico, and many other countries, the response is to "shoot the messenger". I read several Colombian and Mexican newspapers daily. I am amazed of the position of danger the journalists thrust themselves into as a profession daily.
It shows a great bravery and doggedness I really admire. And a lot of those taking the biggest risks are broke as well!
What a great accounting of the dogged determination to get to a result. Media personalities here are more worried about their access to insider parties and social media clicks than attaining any real truth. I will order the book.
Nice one Daniel. Yeah, if American journalists suffered that kind of violence it would be hard to imagine the reaction.
Since World War I, American journalism has been infiltrated by government political concerns, bribed with power and money and converted to being a governmental mouthpiece. Complete capitulation and independence destroyed. Television and radio integrity destroyed. Publishers reduced to under 10 companies through financial manipulations by new private equity company owners and newspaper advertising destroyed. Social media is now the news in it's censored digital forms. Violence is not needed now. Violence in the 60's and early 70's by the FBI and various directed police departments destroyed the real independent underground press whose accuracy has been confirmed with the passage of time. The onslaught was complete and the duration was long to destroy any whims and attempts to resurrect a true watchdog of the established order.
That is a pretty catastrophic take down of the U.S. media! I don't think it's quite as terrible as that although I certainly have some big critiques. But perhaps it needs a Foundation moment, setting up new on the edge and trying to get the new way to spread...
As a avid reader and participant in the underground media of the 60's and early 70's, the foundations it had established, it's extremely accurate reporting of history and politics and it's connection to self governing solutions, comparing it to the situation now is horrendous. I guess you need over 60 years of perspective to really see the differences. The takeover of the book industry and destruction of print is really depressing. A foundation moment and movement would have to start with dedicated servers and encrypted computers and communication devices to provide the most secure base of complying information. Now this sounds extremely paranoid but unfortunately it is just good sense. The attacks alone on the anti-Covid 19 vaccines doctors, supporting commentators and even Substack writers was incredible. Personal computer attacks, banking attacks and attacks on their medical licenses. Mainstream personal attacks were relentless and successful in convincing people that they were quacks and conspiracy nuts not to mention the attacks on anyone who refused the vaccine and the information was spread to your personal banks, churches and organizations you belonged to. And that is just one example. Even 60 years ago, information was passed on to any job you applied for. That information circulated for over 15 years. That in itself shows how the US government was completely unsettled by the political underpinnings of the underground journalism.
I knew you had some writing experience! I'd be interested in learning more about the alternative press in the 60s and 70s. Was that mainly in the alternative weeklies and that kind of thing?
The real alternative press grew out of various groups printing their own pamphlets in their garages using various types of offset printers and copiers, exploring every possible alternative to the established order of government, religion and culture. When I was sixteen, after leaving the church, due to my grandmother I became interested in the Industrial Workers of the World. The IWW encouraged followers to send in their ideas which were incorporated into their pamphlets without bylines or acknowledgement. The struggle against oppression was more important then the selfish claim of recognition, an excuse used by the New Left throughout the years. I became involved in other anarchist groups who incorporated ideas from everyone in the pamphlet. I was a good headline writer and the one I remember the most was The Violence of the Dollar and it's Unholy Priests.
The alternative weeklies grew out of this underground and were better financed. Also many of these weeklies had huge sexual content with pictures, personal ads and political comments. Many a newspaper box contain political weeklies and sex weeklies for usually 25 cents.
As the alternative press grew and consolidated into political publications because of the Vietnam War, the movement became more rigid and resistant to other ideas. Intolerance and paranoia became a norm especially after constant FBI and CIA attacks. The anti war movement became extremely intolerant of soldiers who joined the military but became very disillusioned by the war. Very difficult for those soldiers to receive counselling about their options in opposing the war while in the military. Beside the end of the Vietnam War, drugs played a key part in the destruction of the alternative press and movement. For me, my rebellion against God led to a very easy transition of rebelling against government and society.
The links below provide a detailed examination of the alternative press and movement-
https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=googlescholar&id=GALE%7CA203026585&v=2.1&it=r&asid=c399a428
https://stansburyforum.com/2023/12/03/press-power-of-the-long-1960s-liberation-through-duplication
https://davidgraeber.org/articles/the-rebirth-of-anarchism-in-north-america-1957-2007/
Congratulations to Andrew Paxton. I ordered a copy and look forward to reading this University of North Carolina publication.
Thankyou Ioan for bringing Mexican Watchdogs to my attention and posting this exerpt. It reminds me of the debt that I owe to so many courageous Mexican journalists. This book of Andrew's will certainly remind the world of the important role that journalism plays in exposing the corruption of Politicians, Powerful conglomerates and narco-criminals. I could not have produced my own book on Drug Wars and Covert Netherworlds without the work of Mexican Journalists. My pesonal acknowledgement of their contribution was far too brief and understated when I wrote:
"For more than twenty years, the dangerous crime beats covered by many Mexican authors and journalists reported on what anthropologist Howard Campbell (2009) has astutely described as low-grade battle zones; many brave journalists and writers who have covered those events have been the principal inspiration and the key source of information for most of this book.
The chapters that follow would never have been possible without relying on the information and the insight first printed in Mexican newspapers and in online news portals by dozens of periodistas. The structure of this book and its description of cartel history are also guided by timeline descriptions I first read about in Mexican newspapers, magazines, and digital sites. In particular, chapters 4 and 5 have been inspired and informed by interactive pages and graphic timelines reproduced in national magazines and newspapers of record such as Proceso Seminario, La Jornada, Reforma/El Norte, and El Universal as well as others found on
several Internet portals.
The following chapters also incorporate many details and observations first described in influential regional papers and magazines such as Ríodoce and Noroeste in Sinaloa and Zeta Seminario in Tijuana. In particular, the news portals of Ríodoce, Sin Embargo, and Animal Político served as reliable sources and go-to sites to uncover basic information and to
fact check and identify trustworthy reports."
Thanks much there Jim. It's notable that many Mexican journalistic reports about these clandestine organizations in the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s proved accurate over time and shows how many of these reporters from these communities really had their ears to the street and were plugged in with very good sources. All best there friend!
Man, this is brutal. It breaks my heart. Thank you for sharing this publication.
I ask myself - if Mexico exports so many people to cook good food in other countries, why can’t it import some good police from nations where governors don’t murder their own people? Our local police is too weak to get back on its feet.
Indeed it is heart breaking. That is an interesting thought about importing police. There are some efforts like bringing in foreign investigators for the Ayotzinapa case but I don't think that ultimately made some big difference. I could imagine a foreign U.N. force in some places co, but then the Mexican army can seem like the U.N. standing there between cartels at times. I guess the future would be in transformed Mexican law enforcement but it's an evasive goal.