President Claudia Sheinbaum said there is no blacklist of journalists and rejected accusations that her administration is engaging in censorship [1].
The denial comes amid growing tension between the Mexican government and the press over the monitoring of media figures. The dispute centers on whether government tools used to track discourse are being weaponized to silence critical reporting.
Speaking at the Salón de Tesorería in the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, Sheinbaum responded to criticism regarding a digital network of journalists' names [2]. This network had been publicized by Justice Secretary Luisa María Alcalde, leading opponents to claim the government had created a formal censorship list [2].
Sheinbaum defended the actions of the Justice Secretary and the use of the data. She said the government is exercising the "derecho de réplica," or the right of reply, to correct information it deems inaccurate [5].
According to reports from Aug. 6, 2024 [4], the president said her administration does not censor journalists. She said the analysis of social networks is a legitimate tool for government communication rather than a means of intimidation [3].
Critics argue that identifying journalists in government-tracked networks creates a chilling effect on press freedom. However, Sheinbaum said the government's focus remains on the right to respond to public narratives [5].
“President Claudia Sheinbaum said there is no blacklist of journalists.”
This conflict highlights a fundamental disagreement over the boundary between government transparency and surveillance. By framing the monitoring of journalists as a 'right of reply,' the Sheinbaum administration is attempting to legitimize the tracking of media figures as a communication strategy. For press freedom advocates, this sets a precarious precedent where the state defines which journalists are targets for 'correction,' potentially increasing pressure on independent media in Mexico.
