Mike O'Connor (journalist)

Mike O'Connor (February 8, 1946 – December 29, 2013) was a German-born American journalist, war correspondent, and Mexico's representative for Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promote press freedom around the world. Born in Germany following World War II to Americans stationed in a refugee camp, O'Connor began his career as a journalist in the 1980s. As a foreign journalist, he covered civil wars and conflicts for NPR, The New York Times, CBS News, among others.

Mike O'Connor
Born(1946-02-08)February 8, 1946
Germany
DiedDecember 29, 2013(2013-12-29) (aged 67)
Mexico City, Mexico
OccupationMexico's representative for Committee to Protect Journalists
Spouse(s)Tracy Wilkinson
Children2

In 2009, he started his work at CPJ as a representative of Mexico, one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world. He travelled across the country investigating attacks against the press and cases about intimidation, disappearances, and murder of Mexican journalists. In 2012, he was one of the leading figures behind the promotion of a federal law signed by former President Felipe Calderón that gave the federal government more jurisdiction to investigate crimes against the press, cases traditionally reserved for local and state officials.

Early life and career

Mike O'Connor was born in Germany on February 8, 1946, to Jerry and Jess O'Connor. His father was stationed there after the conclusion of World War II and was in charge of supervising the camps of people who were displaced in the conflict.[1][2] As a child, O'Connor moved back and forth from U.S. to Mexico, where he learned to speak Spanish. The family fled to Mexico constantly because they believed they were on the U.S. government's radar for their sympathy and closeness with left-wing political groups. During his early life, O'Connor lived near the U.S.-Mexico border.[2][3] It was much later in his life that O'Connor found out that his mother was affiliated with the Independent Labour Party and was blacklisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[4] O'Connor also lived in Mexico, a country he deeply cherished and admired, for many years of his life, including Mexico City and Monterrey.[5] He was married to Tracy Wilkinson, the bureau chief of Mexico City for Los Angeles Times. He had two children, Sean and Gabriel; two granddaughters and four siblings.[2]

He began his career as a reporter in the 1980s in the San Francisco area before working as a war correspondent for CBS News, covering the civil wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, and news in the rest of Latin America. He then returned to California and worked again as a local reporter. He then went on to cover Central American affairs for The New York Times (NYT) and NPR. His investigative reporting in Haiti earned him the "Overseas Press Club" award. For the NYT, O'Connor covered the conflict and aftermath in Yugoslavia. He then went on to work for NPR and covered the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[2][6] In January 2009, he began to work for Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based nonprofit organization that raises awareness and protects press freedom and journalists' rights across the world.[7][8] O'Connor was Mexico's correspondent for CPJ.[2] He often traveled to dangerous areas for journalists in Mexico to report the intimidation, disappearances and murder of Mexican journalists.[2]

In his first major report for CPJ in 2009, he published an article about the drug-related violence and censorship of journalists in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, one of the most-dangerous cities in the country that year.[8][9] Among his most important works was "Silence or Death in Mexico's Press", a 43-page report that was presented to Mexico's President Felipe Calderón in September 2010.[8][10] He was one of the leading figures behind the promotion of the "Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists" (Spanish: Ley Para la Protección de Personas Defensoras de Derechos Humanos y Periodistas), which was passed by the Mexican government in 2012.[11][12] The law gave authorities at a federal level more autonomy to prosecute crimes against the press in Mexico.[13] CPJ research conducted by O'Connor and his colleagues showed that attacks against the press in the country were often ignored and even facilitated by corrupt law enforcement officials, especially those at the state and local levels.[14] Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world with one of the highest levels of unsolved crimes against the press.[10][15]

Death

O'Connor died in his sleep at home in Mexico City due to an apparent heart attack on December 29, 2013.[16][17]

The United States Department of State extended their condolences;[18] Reporters Without Borders (RWB) and Mexico City's Human Rights Commission (Spanish: Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Distrito Federal) lamented the death and recognized O'Connor's work to uncover and combat all manner of threats to the safety of Mexican journalists.[19][20]

References
  1. Fitzsimmons, Emma (1 January 2014). "Mike O'Connor, Advocate for Mexican Journalists, Dies at 67". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. Fausset, Richard (30 December 2013). "Mike O'Connor dies at 67; advocate for journalists in Mexico". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  3. "Mike O'Connor, veteran reporter and advocate for threatened Mexican journalists, dies at 67". Fox News. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  4. Vulliamy, Ed (1 January 2014). "Mike O'Connor obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  5. "Murió Mike O'Connor, activista, periodista y jefe del CPJ-México". Ríodoce (in Spanish). 29 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  6. "Mike O'Connor: Mexico Representative". Committee to Protect Journalists. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  7. "Committee to Protect Journalists". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 28 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  8. Lauría, Carlos. "Remembering Mike O'Connor". Committee to Protect Journalists. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  9. O'Connor, Mike (24 June 2009). "Special Report: Reporting, and Surviving, in Ciudad Juárez". Committee to Protect Journalists. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  10. "Silence or Death in Mexico's Press" (PDF). Committee to Protect Journalists. September 2010. p. 43. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  11. "Los delitos contra periodistas serán perseguidos por autoridades federales". CNNMéxico (in Spanish). Turner Broadcasting System. 22 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  12. Weissenstein, Michael (31 December 2013). "O'Connor, Advocate for Mexican Journalists, Dies". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  13. Lara, Tania (25 June 2012). "Mexican president signs law to protect journalists". Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at The University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  14. "Calderón to support federalization of anti-press crimes". Committee to Protect Journalists. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  15. "Deadly Trends for Journalists in 2011; 103 Killed". International Press Institute. 4 January 2012. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  16. Roderick, Kevin (31 December 2013). "Mike O'Connor, reporter and advocate for Mexico's journalists was 67". LA Observe. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  17. Petrich, Blanche (31 December 2013). "Adiós a Mike O'Connor, defensor de periodistas y representante del CPJ". La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  18. Psaki, Jen. "Condolences on Death of Mike O'Connor, Mexico Representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists". United States Department of State. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  19. "La CDHDF lamenta el sensible fallecimiento de Mike O' Connor" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Distrito Federal. 30 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  20. "Freedom of information loses champion in Mexico". Reporters Without Borders. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.

Further reading
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