Mexican authorities were investigating the killing of a local reporter Monday in the central state of Guanajuato, the country’s homicide leader.
The state prosecutor’s office identified the victim only by his first name, but local media outlets said the victim was Kristian Zavala, who covered local goings on in the city of Silao on his Facebook page. Zavala and another person were killed Sunday, according to the office. According local media, Zavala and his companion were shot dead by unknown individuals aboard a vehicle after midnight
It was at least the third killing of a media worker so far this year, though it remained unclear if the motive was connected to his work. The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists and Mexico’s chapter of Articulo 19 demanded a thorough investigation.
Violence in Guanajuato is linked to ongoing conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of the most powerful in the Latin American nation. Last month, the Trump administration formally labeled eight cartels as terrorist groups, including the Jalisco cartel.
For years, Mexico has been one of the world’s most dangerous countries outside a war zone for journalists. A record number of journalists were killed worldwide in 2024, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report released last month.
How journalist killings are counted
Sometimes authorities say the victim was a journalist, but usually only if it was someone well known. More commonly, press advocacy organizations share the information.
The information, however, can vary between sources. In many cases, like that of Zavala, the victims cover very local events using social platforms rather than for a traditional newspaper, television or radio station. In those cases, it’s also common that the coverage is only one of the person’s jobs. They may also drive a taxi or do something else to make ends meet.
The same authorities who are looked to for answers in some cases quickly dismiss a journalist’s work as a possible motive or suggest they were involved with unseemly people or business.
The number of journalist killings is down, but does that mean it’s safer?
No. Mexico had its deadliest year for journalists in 2022 with 13 killings, according to CPJ and Articulo 19. In 2023 and 2024, that fell to half or fewer, but non-lethal attacks shot up.
In 2023, Articulo 19 recorded 561 such attacks, which includes disappearances as well.
Hyperlocal journalists like Zavala are frequently the most exposed. They cover crime in places where cartels operate with impunity or cover local politics where justice is difficult to access and politicians may consider it easier to simply silence a critical voice.
All but a handful of media workers’ killings and abductions remain unsolved.
“Impunity is the norm in crimes against the press,” the the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report on Mexico last year.
What do authorities do?
Press advocates criticize authorities for frequently downplaying aggression toward the press and sometimes not investigating at all.
During the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, he used his daily press briefings frequently to attack journalists, calling them enemies or adversaries and leaving the impression they were fair game.
A report by CPJ and Amnesty International showed in 2024 that Mexico fails in its efforts to provide state-sanctioned protection to members of the press.
