Mexican News Anchor calls it quits, cites tense political atmosphere
MEXICO CITY, Mex. (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - One of Mexico's most popular news anchor has called it quits, citing the difficulty of covering politics in a neutral manner as the political atmosphere there gets tense.
Denise Maerker, the main anchor for Televisa for over six years, originally made waves when the network chose her to lead the flagship show for the nation's most popular news station.
Originally, she confronted sexism, as evening anchor spots in Mexico were male-centric.
However, she is the most watched anchor in the country; garnering three times as many views as her nearest competitor.
Furthermore, Maerker says the President has made it too hard to be restrained in coverage. Anchors there almost have to take a side.
As President, Manuel Lopez Obrador has consistently attacked the press and limited their access to him.
The role of a news anchor seemed to switch. They could either parrot the government, or use the platform to attack and expose them.
Reporting straight facts, due to the environment, has become more and more difficult in the TV news industry in Mexico.
In fact, Ciro Levya, an anchor for Grupo Imagen, survived an assassination attempt in Mexico City as a motorcycle drove by and tried to shoot through his car's bulletproof glass. He's known to viewers as a corruption buster.
