practice criticism

If we start from the principle that “power corrupts, and absolute power completely corrupts,” the practice of journalistic criticism becomes a very necessary activity of society.

In Mexico, our politicians do not like criticism, nor do they know it, simply because most of them were born when a partisan dictatorship ruled our country, with journalistic criticism silenced on the basis of power, privilege, or complicity.

The history of political journalists, or vice versa, is so long in our country that even today, when criticism is supposed to be possible, permitted and even encouraged, there are many politicians and journalists who do not know the line that separates them.

After the downfall of the PRI regime, Mexico experienced its best critical moment, suddenly, citizens realized that it was possible to criticize a president, governor, or mayor, something previously forbidden in a somewhat secretive way.

Soon, we opened up to cyberspace and suddenly we were criticized because the public can directly criticize the official, even critical professionals.

Today, criticism is an act that we practice in practically every moment, through many platforms and this will not change, so the politicians who continue to suffer from criticism are simply showing that they did not understand how long they should live.

The politician knows that access to power is a privilege, but he must also know that power brings with it daily and lasting criticism, and criticism is the beacon that tells him where he is wrong and where he must be corrected.

If a politician is unable to accept and use criticism, he must ask himself if he is where he wants and ought to be, and finally he must remember that his position is temporary and that the critics were already there before he came to power. And they will be long after they leave it.