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When I got the message that I could be the first English-language journalist to interview Carlos Lehder, the number-two in the Medellin Cartel, I scrambled to Colombia and filmed it guerilla style. Here I am in the photo after the shoot with Carlos, two of his people and the photographer Oliver Schmieg in a finely-decorated jungle hotel.
I hoped to move the piece first in a big magazine or on commercial TV, but things were slow and I didn’t want to waste time with such a hot interview. So I premiered it on CrashOut, not only here on the Stack, but also on the CrashOut Podcast I now have going, which zaps out on platforms from Spotify to Apple. It’s already topped 315K views on YouTube alone and keeps climbing.
In the new media landscape, you don’t need to go through a gatekeeper to get a story out. You can just do it. It’s a fascinating moment, as well as a crazy and scary one.
Since I began working as a journalist in 2001, I have spent most my career working in the mainstream, including getting a couple of covers in Time Magazine and 70+ op-eds in the New York Times, where I still publish. Yet, there is a great energy and possibilities in independent media, which can give you a chance to move fast, think outside the box, and connect more directly with readers and viewers (you!).
Since I properly launched CrashOut in August 2023, I can fairly say we have had a solid number of exclusives or been ahead of the curve on various stories, such as the Mayo kidnapping, Sinaloa Civil War, foreign mercenaries, and Mayo moving to a guilty plea. But I also love how the format itself allows you to write from the heart and approach pieces in a different way. I think it’s the perfect vehicle for covering a story as fucked up and weird as the Mexican Cartel Wars.
Of course, there are some bad sides to the rise of independent media. Charlatans, bull-shitters, and the batshit crazy can also grab the mic. But then there are some serious issues with the mainstream media, and it's missed out on or messed up some important stories over the last decade. The new economics also mean that big outlets have cut back on a lot of coverage, especially out in badlands like the Michoacán mountains, and we need other journalists to step in. We want people who will do it well but it's hard to make a dollar in the independent media game.
I hope the future can see a strengthening of the best sides of independent media as well as an improvement in the mainstream. A new synthesis. Maybe the future is what we choose to make it.
The aim of CrashOut is to try and make this little corner of the media part of a shift to a better overall environment seeking truth on hard issues. And thanks to you CrashOut subscribers we are in business. We couldn’t have moved a mile, written a word, or filmed a frame without you guys. It’s still the hardcore of paid subscribers who are doing this, so if you are teetering on the edge, don’t think twice, do a couple of clicks, and BOOM - welcome into the CrashOut community.
Reality is also being reshaped in other areas of the world. The missile attack on the Venezuelan boat (as I report here) takes us into a new era, with a “Trump doctrine” of using lethal force against alleged drug traffickers. I think the immediate use will be to push for regime change in Caracas, possibly by pressuring Venezuela into an internal coup. Let’s see, but whatever happens, I’ll be following all these hot issues in the coming months, seeking the truth without fear of favor. The future has not been written yet, so let’s strap in and see what the story is.
Readers Work and Appearances On Outlets
Subscriber Marianha Campero runs the Mexico Matters podcast for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. You can find it here. I also recorded an episode with her.
Subscriber @ActualSize85 organizes X Spaces, which are public forums on the former Twitter. He invited me onto one on Thursday, and turned out to be a lot of fun. You can find it here and see more of his spaces.
I have done a ton of appearances on Mexican media recently to promote the Spanish edition of my book Sangre, Armas y Dinero (Blood Gun Money in English). My favorite was with Adela Micha, who used to be a big Mexican TV star on Televisa but now has a booming independent channel. You can see it here. (There is a lot happening in the Mexican independent media space right now).
Events
I have two events coming up so if you are nearby come say hello. They are:
Monterrey, Feria Internacional del libro Monterrey 2025. Oct. 18, 6 pm
Guadalajara, Feria Internacional del libro, Guadalajara, Nov. 29, 7.30 pm
Getting into the tradition of ending the Shout with some interesting music seen on the travels, here is a some Afro-Colombian dancing from the streets of Cartagena. That is what I call high energy, as well as tough on the feet!
Copyright Ioan Grillo and CrashOut Media 2025
I think a great part of your success comes not only from your dogged reporting but from the fact you have made the commitment to live in the area you’re reporting on. There are many reporters who fly in, try to get the story, and fly out. There’s no feel for the culture. You live it so to speak. You’re an indispensable part of my knowledge repertoire. I always look forward to your posts, and that next book. I had to get that in. 😀
Hi Ioan I watched YOUR own interview today and was quite impressed. You’re extremely low key for such an international treasure. It’s a privilege to be a subscriber here. 🙏🏼❤️