Dismissal of acclaimed journalist Carmen Aristegui sparks outrage in Mexico

Widespread concern over media censorship and freedom of expression erupted across Mexico this week after the firing of Carmen Aristegui, one of the nation’s most respected journalists.

MVS Radio said it dismissed Aristegui, who hosted a hugely popular morning talk show, and her team of investigative reporters because they “compromised the name of the business” by lending their support to a new whistle-blowing platform without the company’s consent.

However, many in Mexico, including Aristegui herself, suspect the decision to fire her team was driven by pressure from a government that has been frequently embarrassed by their hard-hitting reporting.

A combative and influential reporter who also hosts a television show on CNN México, Aristegui was named the second most powerful woman in the country last year by Forbes México.

After being dismissed late on Sunday night, she gave a brief statement on Monday, affirming that her team, who work collectively under the name Aristegui Noticias, would be taking legal action to “fight for the freedom of expression” in Mexico.

Aristegui expanded upon her team’s position in a defiant press conference broadcast live on YouTube to more than 77,000 viewers on Thursday evening.

Although she admitted that she could not prove it, Aristegui said she suspects that the government intervened in a minor internal dispute that could have been resolved with a simple phone call in order to force her dismissal.

After proposing a meeting with the MVS owners on Monday and expressing her team’s desire to resume work “under the same conditions” as before, she ended the broadcast with a warning that Mexico is up against “an authoritarian machine” and is at serious risk of regression…

Click here to read this article in full at Latin Correspondent.