Breathe
By Soledad Durazo
I was born and raised in Granados, in a region known as the Sierra Alta in Sonora. There, few of us live there and there is a lot of living.
I was not lulled by television, as was the case even then with children in other latitudes, not to mention now; neither did I learn about events in a timely manner; we did not pick up the radio signal and the newspaper arrived several days late and I had to go out to sell it by sliding on a bicycle through the unpaved streets. My childish mind hallucinated when I had in front of me the first black and white television image. Isolation made me appreciate and measure the impact of communication.
Receiving the news of this award took me back to my origins, to my childhood, to that feeling of genuine freedom, the one that is born when the gaze is not contaminated by prejudices. My eyes, bright with memories of those first adventures, caught me in the mirror at that moment.
The year in which it happens could not be more iconic: by democratic decision a woman holds the presidency of the republic, and today, as never before, there are more women governing states in this country... yes, in a country where not so long ago, imagining this was bordering on utopian.
Journalism, communication as a way of life and the University of Sonora as a permanent ethical anchor in front of my students, have been my constant and sublime travel companions.
Receiving this distinction, and even more, accepting it in your presence, commits me to new stages that, if all goes well, I hope will be as long as they are challenging.
Receiving this award in such a convulsive context redoubles our responsibility. I speak of the violence that marks the daily life of journalism in Mexico and the constant risk, which we carry like an invisible tattoo, like a second skin; I speak of the harsh economic circumstances that put increasing pressure on those who try to stay in this profession; I speak of the blow to credibility suffered by the media under official narratives that, far from encouraging us, seek to erase us; I speak of the times in which technology and networks should be our allies, although sometimes they seem like our rivals.
In this era of dizzying change, the work of communicators requires an unprecedented commitment to tolerance and intellectual honesty. Today, more than ever, the credibility that audiences give to good journalism must be our beacon.
After more than 36 years of practicing this profession, I have learned that journalism must remember, today more than ever, its essential purpose: to confront and scrutinize power, not to praise it or make propaganda for it. That is something else.
There are so many of us and we have so many opinions, that tolerance among our voices becomes a fundamental foundation of the message we send minute by minute in the media and networks. Without that understanding, we feed those who seek to destroy freedom and destroy what we love. Understanding each other, even if we disagree, is the pillar that sustains the democratic atmosphere that society needs. And we, as part of it, have the obligation to cultivate it.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all my colleagues at Opinión 51, a project that honors the value of the feminine word in the opinion genre, that which, due to fear or insecurity, has been denied to us so many times. To Radio Fórmula and Radio Fórmula Sonora, for allowing me to show the raw and daily reality of my region; to the University of Sonora, which gave me, for almost 30 years, the joy of training generations of journalists and communicators. To my colleagues, men and women, who encouraged me to continue believing that journalism is, as García Márquez would say, the best profession in the world.
Thanks to each one of you who, with your attention, your criticism and your support, remind us that journalism only makes sense when there is a committed and demanding audience. Because you are the ones who validate our work and make us responsible for not disappointing you.
Thank you for this beautiful and committed moment in my life. From here, my deepest gratitude to public education, which professionally allowed me to be what I am.
To my family for their permanent inspiration and guidance; freedom and levee when necessary and their love and support always.
Today I close this message with an invitation: that this award not remain just a symbol of recognition, but a call to transform and question the role of the press. That we seek, even from the most modest trenches, the truth that makes us uncomfortable and the ethics that inspire. Because journalism, if not renewed and uncomfortable, is doomed to fade into irrelevance.
** Full transcript of the speech given by Soledad Durazo on November 12 at the award ceremony of the National Journalism Award where she received the Lifetime Achievement Award 2024.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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