Sean Penn, El Chapo, and Journalists in Danger

The allure of Hollywood is, for some people, overpowering--sometimes to a fault. The world’s most notorious drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is no exception. El Chapo became a figure larger than life in the media after his escapes from prison and eventual recapture became national and international news. Hollywood, too, came around to find the headlines and cameras. Actor Sean Penn, with the help of telenovela actress Kate del Castillo, interviewed El Chapo in his jungle hideout for Rolling Stone magazine last October. Penn's odd choice to interview the drug lord may have led to El Chapo's eventual capture, but it must be said that his casual and haphazard foray into journalism is a dangerously misleading example. 

When playing the role of a reporter, Sean Penn, as a well-known celebrity, did not have to face the same risks that a career journalist would. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 95 journalists and media workers were killed in 2015, 49 murdered intentionally, all across the world. Journalists were shown being beheaded on international television by ISIS, or had their faces plastered across TV screens after being killed by cartels in Mexico or in the war zone of eastern Ukraine. These tragic deaths are overshadowed by Penn's recklessness.

The entire situation sounds as if it’s straight out a movie, which is the effect El Chapo--and Penn--sought. El Chapo wanted to portray himself as the dark anti-hero, with a troubled past, crusading against the institutional corruption in law enforcement and society at large. Penn condones the atrocities El Chapo has committed by giving the latter, unencumbered by difficult questions and uncomfortable truths, a platform to express his opinions. Penn even goes so far as to defend El Chapo directly, noting that the drug lord only kills in self-defense and does not intend to instigate violence.

Penn’s defense of El Chapo looks atrocious in light of the circumstances around the meeting. Kate del Castillo, who arranged the meeting, has a history of condoning El Chapo’s actions. In fact, she tweeted in 2012 that he was more credible than the Mexican government. The criticism of governmental drug policy, though certainly warranted, should not eclipse the frank discussion on the harm caused by the drug trade.

Penn defended his irresponsible journalism in a TV conversation with "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose, saying, “I have a regret that the entire discussion about this article ignores its purpose, which was to try to contribute to this discussion about the policy in the war on drugs.” Although he has a point--that the war on drugs must be carefully evaluated and reflected upon--he could have conveyed it in a more responsible manner without exploiting an unsafe situation for his own personal gain in popularity. The journalists who risk their lives in war zones and natural disasters should be recognized for their work, not the actors pretending to their jobs.