Palestinian Photojournalist Omar Al‑Derawi and Colleagues Killed in Gaza Amid Ceasefire Talks
January 3, 2025
Russian Izvestia Reporter Killed in Eastern Ukraine Drone Strike
January 4, 2025
January 03, 2025 – Mexico –
Mexico once again ranked in the top three most dangerous countries for journalists in 2024, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). With five journalists killed, it trails only behind war-torn regions like Palestine and Pakistan. The report also highlights that Mexico accounts for nearly 30% of global journalist disappearances over the past decade, underscoring systemic threats to press freedom.
Despite the number of journalist murders declining from the 15 killed in 2022, violence and impunity remain alarmingly entrenched. RSF notes that Mexico consistently ranks among the most perilous non-war-zone countries, with organized crime and corrupt local authorities colluding to suppress reporting through threats, disappearances, and sometimes killings.
Data from international watchdogs amplifies the crisis. Since 2000, over 100 media workers have been killed or forcibly disappeared in Mexico, most of them in states like Veracruz, where crime syndicates wield significant power. In one tragic example, newsrooms such as El Debate in Culiacán have been targeted by gunmen following coverage of cartel activity. Alarmingly, some murders occurred even as journalists were under police protection, highlighting the failure of the federal journalist protection mechanism.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also underscores Mexico’s dangerous climate. It notes that the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, established in 2012, has failed to protect those most vulnerable—journalists continue to be silenced with near-total impunity. CPJ reports that most crimes against press workers remain unsolved, with few convictions.
This climate generated global headlines: in late 2024, two journalists were killed within 24 hours—a crime reporter in Michoacán and an entertainment journalist in Colima—provoking demands from the UN and CPJ for transparent investigations
Reference –
2024 is deadliest year for journalists in CPJ history; almost 70% killed by Israel
