According to the U.N., between 2006 and 2020, over 1200 journalists were killed for reporting the news and bringing information to the public. While killings are the most extreme form of media censorship, journalists are also subjected to countless threats - ranging from kidnapping, torture, and other physical attacks to harassment. Threats of violence and attacks against journalists, in particular, create a climate of fear for media professionals, impeding the free circulation of information, opinions and ideas for all citizens.

In this panel discussion, Natalia Sobrino-Saeb, presents her Nobel Peace Center award-winning essay on journalism and corruption in Mexico. She argues that the environment in which Mexican journalists find themselves is the opposite of one encouraging the publication of the truth. The corrupt climate in Mexico creates an environment propitious for the harm of journalists who wish to address this very problem.” Natalia is a Mexican American student at Leiden University College. She graduates with a major in Governance, Economics, and Development in July 2022 from Leiden University College in the Hague.

About the Speakers:

Natalia Sobrino-Saeb is the student winner of the Nobel Peace Center Ignitor Fellowship Program's Essay Competition at Leiden University College in the Hague.

Salam Omer is a prominent Arab journalist and editor-in-chief of KirkukNow and Trainer in Conflict-Sensitive Journalism in Iraq, often working in challenging environments and conflict zones.

Moderating the forum is Natalie Jesionka, author, journalist, and SFC human rights fellow. She has served on the board of directors at Amnesty International USA.