Reportero

Overview

Investigative journalism is an extremely risky business in Mexico; in just the past 6 years 42 journalists have been murdered for reporting on drug crime and corruption. Directed by Bernardo Ruiz Reportero is the reporters' story.

Sergio Haro and his colleagues at the independent Mexican political weekly, ZETA, have been exposing the actions of dodgy politicians and organised crime officials for the past 25 years. They remain passionate despite, or perhaps in some cases because of, the fact some of their colleagues and friends have been murdered for just doing their job.

Ruiz takes a chronological approach to the story, beginning with the early years of the publication and how ZETA became synonymous with investigative journalism in Mexico. Political corruption is explained in a matter of fact manner. But from a New Zealand point of view, it is startling just how beyond reproach these murderers in high places are. Reportero is a poignant and enlightening look beyond the statistics at a topic which remains as relevant as ever.