In Mexico, an increasing number of legal actions against journalists and media outlets are raising concerns about the erosion of press freedom. Over the past year, authorities and politicians have leveraged a variety of laws to sue, fine, and harass reporters, often under charges ranging from terrorism to violations of gender violence statutes. Press rights organizations warn that this trend poses a significant threat to independent journalism in a country already known as one of the most perilous for reporters worldwide.

Cases cited include a Veracruz crime reporter charged with terrorism for reporting on cartel activity, a columnist ordered to remove an article linking a congressional candidate to criminal groups, and a newspaper barred from mentioning a state governor unless content was first reviewed by a court monitor. Civil, criminal, and electoral cases now frequently target journalists, with accusations extending to misuse of artificial intelligence regulations and gender-based violence laws originally designed to protect female politicians.

Mexico has witnessed nearly 180 journalist killings since 2000, placing it among the deadliest countries for media practitioners. Experts and journalists interviewed say that the recent wave of lawsuits and court orders is creating a subtler but powerful form of censorship, causing self-censorship and reluctance to cover political figures or sensitive topics for fear of financial ruin or imprisonment.

Leopoldo Maldonado, director at media rights group Article 19, described the situation as officials deploying judicial systems less to seek justice for defamation and more as a means of attrition and intimidation against journalists. The number of legal cases against media reached 69 in 2025, more than triple the previous year’s total, according to watchdog data.

Supporters of the laws, including Senator Martha Lucía Mícher of the ruling Morena party, reject accusations of misuse. Mícher emphasized the need to protect female politicians from misogynistic journalism but expressed openness to reviewing how cases have been handled. “We are not abusing these laws,” she said. “We are victims.” However, critics argue that poorly constructed legislation enables officials and judges to exploit the judicial process to stifle dissent.

The relationship between Mexican authorities and the press remains fraught. Historically, under one-party rule, many journalists avoided challenging power structures, sometimes benefiting from government patronage. Since the 1990s, the emergence of a more independent press has led to increased friction, especially as reporters investigate corruption and organized crime amid ongoing violence.

Under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, official advertising spending dropped sharply, with the president instead using frequent morning news conferences to communicate directly with supporters and frequently criticize journalists by name. His successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, has taken a softer approach, publicly defending freedom of expression while at times endorsing legal actions against media outlets. In May, she called for a boycott of a media group critical of her administration, a move she described as expression of opinion rather than censorship.

A prominent recent case involved a court ruling that found five reporters guilty of gender-based political violence for coverage perceived as subordinating a female political candidate to her father’s influence. The ruling required fines, public apologies, deletions of articles, and placement of offenders on a gender-violence registry. The case energized national debate about press freedom and the potential misuse of such laws.

In Veracruz, journalist Rafael León was briefly detained and charged with terrorism related to his crime reporting before terrorism charges were dropped after public scrutiny. He remains under other accusations and has curtailed his investigative work, citing continued fear.

Financial pressure and litigation have also forced some local newspapers to cease print editions and move online. The Campeche Tribune stopped printing following lawsuits, tax audits, and the withdrawal of government advertising, actions believed to be linked to political retaliation from the state governor.

Despite these developments, officials including Sheinbaum deny the existence of censorship, insisting that freedom of expression remains protected in Mexico and that journalists face consequences only when committing crimes. However, journalists and experts maintain that the growing use of the legal system to intimidate critics is fundamentally reshaping the country’s media landscape.