One of the deadliest places to be a journalist
In the early evening of May 14, 2025, in Acapulco, Guerrero, journalist José Carlos González Herrera — known to his followers as “El Fénix”— was ambushed and shot dead by unidentified assailants as he left a recording studio.
Mr. González, 39, was the founder and editor of El Guerrero, Opinión Ciudadana, a Facebook-based news outlet with over 143,000 followers, where he reported on local politics, crime, and social issues. He was previously injured in a targeted attack in 2023.
“José Carlos González’s brutal killing is the latest in a string of deadly attacks on the press in Mexico — yet another reminder that President Claudia Sheinbaum’s promise that press freedom would be respected in the country continues to be an empty one,” the Committee to Protect Journalists’ Mexico representative, Jan-Albert Hootsen, said in a statement.
“If Mexican authorities finally want to show their commitment to press freedom, they must bring González’s attackers to justice, lest the impunity that fuels these killings continues unabated.”
At least four journalists have been killed in Mexico this year, underscoring the country’s ongoing status as one of the most dangerous places in the world for media professionals. While the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine dominate international headlines, the crisis long facing journalists in Mexico garners little attention.