Being a former border reporter, I have a lot of respect for those who continue to cover the impacts of the drug trade on Mexico. I am posting here a press release for a Wednesday forum about “blogging the narco wars” that is sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. I know reporters Amy Isackson and Vicente Calderon from my time in Tijuana – and I am personally grateful for Tijuana based human-rights activist Victor Clark, one of the few people in that city who reporters can go to for a “tell it as it is” quote about drugs and corruption.
Join the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Los Angeles Public Library for an in-depth talk with journalists from San Diegoand Tijuana, as well as a long-time watchdog of border violence, to discuss how reporters are covering outbreaks of violence in connection to drug-smuggling in Tijuana.
The panelists will be:
- Victor Clark Alfaro, Founder, Binational Human Rights Center in Tijuana
- Vicente Calderon, Tijuana television reporter
- Amy Isackson, reporter, KPBS San Diego
The event will be moderated by SPJ/LA board member Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, a reporter with KPCC 89.3 FM.
WHAT: Blogging the Narco-Wars
WHO: Victor Clark Alfaro, Founder, Binational Human Rights Center in Tijuana; Vicente Calderon, Tijuana TV reporter; Amy Isackson, border reporter, KPBS San Diego. Moderated by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, reporter, KPCC 89.3FM, SPJ/LA board member.
WHEN: 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2009
WHERE: The Los Angeles Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071http://www.lfla.org/aloud/visit.php
COST: Free, but reservations are highly recommended through the L.A. Public Library’s ALOUD Lecture Series.http://www.lfla.org/aloud/registration/
For more information, check out the SPJ/LA Web site athttp://spjla.wordpress.com/ or log onto the library’s site athttp://www.lfla.org/aloud/calendar/?month=06&year=2009&day=03.
The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to promoting high standards of ethical behavior and encouraging the free practice of journalism. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.