Mexican Media Baron On Drug-Violence Epidemic

Alejandro Junco de la Vega runs daily newspapers in three of Mexico's largest cities: Reforma in Mexico City, Mural in Guadalajara and El Norte in Monterrey.

Junco was born in Monterrey and earned his journalism degree from the University of Texas. He returned to Mexico to become the publisher of El Norte in 1973.

Even at the beginning of his newspaper empire-building, Junco fought for freedom of the press — he hired a UT journalism professor to teach journalistic ethics and techniques to the reporters of El Norte.

After El Norte became successful, Junco founded Reforma and Mural. Junco also owns the company Infosel, Mexico's largest Internet provider and online finance and news service.

Junco joins Fresh Air to discuss the escalating violence in Mexico. The rising murder rate, especially at the U.S. border, is associated with drug-cartel activity.