National Press Club Statement on Recent Violence Against Journalists in Mexico

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 — Following is a statement from Jen Judson, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, on the record-setting number of journalists and media workers killed so far this year in Mexico.

"Even as 2022 is far from over, Mexico has already reached the dubious distinction of having its deadliest recorded year yet for journalists, with 18 reporters and other media workers killed so far, according to figures tabulated by the human rights organization Article 19.

“Importantly, the pace of killings of journalists under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has gone up nearly 52 percent compared to the same time period in 2018 under his predecessor, former President Enrique Peña Nieto, according to Article 19.

“López Obrador must immediately cease his verbal attacks on the press. His derogatory discourse directly contributes to shaping a culture of impunity in Mexico where corrupt officials and cartels conclude that the murders of journalists will not be investigated or prosecuted and where reporters conclude that their best self-defense is one of self-censorship.

“We further join far too many others throughout Mexico and the Western Hemisphere in mourning the August murders of the following Mexican journalists and media workers:

• On Aug. 22, Fredid Roman, who ran a local political news website "The Reality of Guerrero" and wrote a column, was shot to death inside his car in the city of Chilpancingo, according to local prosecutors in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero.
• On August 16, Juan Arjón López, founder of the Facebook-based news outlet A Qué Le Temes, was found dead in San Luis Río Colorado, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora on the U.S. border. His disappearance was reported on August 9th. One person has been arrested for his involvement in the abduction and brutal killing.
• On August 11, in the Mexican border city Cuidad Juarez in Chihuahua, four employees of Radio Switch 105.9 FM, part of the Mega Radio Group, were shot dead while broadcasting from outside a pizzeria. The victims were Allan González, the station´s announcer; Armando Guerrero, head of marketing; Lino Flores, technical operator; and Alejandro Arriaga, a security team member.
• On August 3, journalist Ernesto Méndez Pérez, director of the news outlet Periodico Tu Voz, in the state of Guanajuato, was shot dead in a bar owned by his family. He previously had reported threats and asked the Special Prosecutor's Office for Attention to Crimes against Freedom of Expression for protection.

“The López Obrader government must immediately investigate these latest killings and bring their perpetrators to justice. It’s the very least that can be done for their surviving family members and other loved ones. Furthermore, the Mexican government must take seriously the threats that journalists are reporting, particularly those working in places far from Mexico City, and take significant actions to bolster the safety services it purports to offer at-risk journalists through the ‘Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.’”

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.