Is Mexico Safe? Murders Force Juarez Newspaper To Close

It's a tough time for newspapers. In the Mexican border town of Juarez this weekend, one newspaper ceased operations because it was worried it couldn't keep its journalists alive. Behind a front-page emblazoned with the word "Adios!", regional newspaper Norte announced Sunday would be its last ever print edition because of a surge in violence against Mexican journalists.

The news came as the newspaper industry across the globe has been grappling with how to stay relevant, and profitable, in the digital age. Many papers have shut down print operations and converted to digital only publication while laying off reporters and shrinking newsrooms. Others have shut down completely.

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"On this day, esteemed reader, I address you to report that I have made the decision to close this newspaper due to the fact that, among other things, there are neither the guarantees nor the security to exercise critical, counterbalance journalism," Norte's owner, Oscar A. Cantú Murguía wrote in an editorial. Cantú told the Washington Post he would announce the closing of the digital version of the paper during a Monday staff meeting. About 150 people will lose their jobs, Cantú said.

Three journalists were killed in Mexico in the past month, but it appeared that the final straw for Cantú was the killing of Miroslava Breach in the city of Chihuahua, which, like Juarez, is in the state of Chihuahua. Breach occasionally collaborated with Norte and was a reporter for La Jornada, a national newspaper, covering organized crime, drug-trafficking and corruption. Breach was shot eight times in her car outside of her home. A note left at the scene said: "For being a loud-mouth."

At least 40 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 1992, according to figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists. In Juarez, violence spiked in 2016 after a multi-year lull that many thought was an indication the city was shedding its reputation as one of the most violent cities in the world.