Mexicans protest killing of journalists

MEXICO CITY — Several prominent Mexican news outlets went dark Tuesday to protest the murder of journalists across the country, including Monday’s brazen midday killing of veteran crime reporter Javier Valdez.

The “Day Without Journalism” protests were staged by publications across Mexico, where at least five journalists have been gunned down this year and where few perpetrators are ever brought to justice.

On Tuesday, reports emerged of yet another attack, this time against a magazine executive in the state of Jalisco.

Sonia Cordova, an executive at the weekly Semanario Costeno and the wife of the magazine’s publisher, was wounded and her 26-year-old son killed Monday night when a gunman besieged them in the city of Autlan, the state prosecutor’s office said. Cordova remained hospitalized, the office said.

“In Mexico, journalists are killed because they can be, because nothing happens,” read the text Tuesday on the home page of Animal Politico, one of Mexico’s most influential online news publications. Instead of its normal content, the site published a black Web page featuring photos of Valdez and other journalists killed this year. Several other major news outlets did the same.

In Mexico City on Monday night, journalists marched in the streets and scrawled “In Mexico they are killing us” in front of the Angel of Independence monument. Vigils were planned in several states on Tuesday evening.

Since 2000, at least 125 journalists have been killed in Mexico, according to the National Human Rights Commission, the government’s independent watchdog.