was murdered, along with four women, in Mexico City after fleeing death threats in Veracruz. Targeted killings of journalists in Mexico have existed since the reign of
Porfirio Díaz and the
Mexican Revolution in 1910. Organized crime groups traditionally attack traditional print newspapers, either by killing, disappearing, or intimidating their reporters. was murdered on 15 May 2017 With traditional media being too intimidating to reporters, some newspapers in Mexico have
self-censored and stopped writing about
drug trafficking and
organized crime. Others simply limit their coverage to the information found in official government press releases or police reports, while others, however, are forced to write what a drug trafficking organization orders them to publish. Journalists have to be careful when they decide to write about the drug violence in Mexico because little things can incur a reprisal; using simple words like "organized crime" are often just what they need to anger a drug trafficking organization. Criminal organizations target journalists for various reasons. Among the most common one is to silence the press in the areas they operate in, and especially when the groups are trying to establish their presence in an area. They also kill journalists as retributions for publications that may damage their business. Cartels want the press to be silent because keeping an image that a city is safe can prevent the Mexican government from sending more federal troops to the area. In addition, Mexican media outlets find themselves vulnerable to attacks when they are in an area with two or more organized crime groups. A group might threaten to kill a journalist if there is coverage of them on the media, while another group might do the same if there is not any coverage. Attacks against the press continued under the administration of President
Enrique Peña Nieto. Violence has compromised the news that reaches the rest of the world. Local journalists are largely responsible for reporting what happens day-to-day in Mexico and the international media relies on them. Violence against journalists and media workers increased by 85% during the presidency of
Andrés Manuel López Obrador. López Obrador, who frequently attacks journalists and independent news outlets during his morning briefings, has often downplayed the threats against the press. There was a surge of killings in early 2022. == Before the Mexican drug war ==