Mexico Pledges to Combat Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists RSF Calls for Urgent Action

Ahead of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) held high-level meetings with Mexican authorities to address the country’s alarming record of violence against media workers. The discussions resulted in renewed commitments by the incoming government to overhaul mechanisms for protecting journalists and prosecuting their attackers.

Mexico remains one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, with 37 media workers killed during the outgoing administration. The majority of these crimes remain unresolved, contributing to an impunity rate of nearly 98 percent. Journalists in Mexico face threats from organized crime, corrupt public officials, and online harassment. RSF emphasized that this systemic failure erodes press freedom and undermines public trust in democratic institutions.

In response, representatives of President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s incoming administration pledged to strengthen the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. This includes decentralizing protection services, ensuring adequate funding, and improving coordination with local authorities. The government also committed to pursuing legal reforms that would facilitate the prosecution of crimes against journalists and prevent public officials from stigmatizing the press.

RSF welcomed these promises but stressed the need for concrete, immediate action. They called for an independent review of the protection mechanism, enhanced training for law enforcement, and the establishment of a national registry to track threats and attacks. RSF also urged the incoming administration to send a strong political signal that violence against journalists will no longer be tolerated by holding perpetrators accountable at all levels.

Mexico’s media landscape is under siege, not only by violence but also by surveillance, disinformation, and legal harassment. The incoming government’s pledges mark an important step, but RSF warns that political will must be matched by institutional reform and transparent implementation.

Without swift action, Mexico risks perpetuating a deadly status quo. To truly end impunity, the new administration must ensure that every attack on a journalist is investigated, every victim remembered, and every perpetrator brought to justice. For Mexico’s democracy to thrive, its journalists must be free and safe to report the truth.