Investigative journalists prepare for November bi-cultural exchange in Nuevo Laredo

 

 

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), a non-profit journalism organization, will co-sponsor an investigative workshop for Mexican and U.S. reporters Nov. 19 and 20 in Nuevo Laredo . The bicultural sessions will be conducted in Spanish with an emphasis on free exchange of ideas and experiences from reporters from both sides of the border.

The workshop will take place at the Hotel Hilton Garden at 5102 Reforma in Nuevo Laredo . The cost is $60 ( U.S. ) in advance and $70 the day of the conference.

Other sponsors for the workshop include the Centro de Periodismo y Etica Publica in Mexico ; IRE-Mexico/Periodistas de Investigación; The Houston Chronicle; El Mañana in Nuevo Laredo ; and the Knight Center for the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin . “The one and a half-day program emphasizes what we can do to counter-attack as investigative journalists in cases of threats or worse to our fellow journalists,” said Lise Olsen of the Houston Chronicle . “It includes seminars on covering subjects like crime and the environment, features master border story-tellers, and experts on useful websites.”

A panel called “Both Sides of the Story, U.S. and Mexico Perspectives. Las dos caras de la historia” will be hosted by Ninfa Deándar, directora general de El Mañana; Maria Eugenia Guerra, Publisher of LareDOS, and Diana Fuentes, Editor of the Laredo Morning Times. The panel will be moderated by Jesse Bogan, border bureau chief for the San Antonio Express-News.

A panel entitled “Profesión peligrosa. Acciones contra la impunidad en en ataques contra periodistas; Dangerous profession: Prevention and what to do about Impunity in attacks on journalists” will be led by Leonarda Reyes of CEPET. The discussion will center on the murder case of Roberto Mora, editor of El Mañana , and an analysis of the investigation by Mexican authorities. Panelists will include Roberto Rock of El Universal (SIPMéxico), and Bob Rivard, Editor of the San Antonio Express-News, who will discuss the murder of E-N correspondent Philip True and a journalistic investigation of the flaws in the handling of the case by Mexican authorities.

A panel on environmental border issues will include participation by Lorena Figueroa, a reporter for Diario de Juárez, and Valerie Godines, investigative reporter for the Orange County Register.

Molly Molloy New Mexico State University , author of the authoritative web guide for the border and Latin America , LaGuia, and Pedro Armendares of IRE-Mexico will host a panel on web resources for binational reportage.

Lise Olsen of the Houston Chronicle, José Reveles of Proceso, and Alfredo Corchado of the Dallas Morning News will disucuss “Crime that crosses the border.”

National Public Radio's John Burnett of Austin and Ginger Thompson, NY Times Mexico City bureau chief, will host a panel on border storytelling.

Brant Houston, IRE director, will host a panel with an overview of invesitgative journalism on the border. He will be joined by Martin Holguin, director editorial de El Mañana, and Jesús Blancornelas of Zeta de Tijuana.

For further information go to the IRE website at www.ire.org. Mexican reporters pay a discounted rate and can register through the CEPET website at www.cepet.org.