World & Nation
· collected 2026-09-06 · by Patrick J. McDonnell, Cecilia Sánchez Vidal
Mexican government list of journalists and political opponents sparks outcry
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list → spark → outcry
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- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is under fire after a top aide publicly named dozens of journalists, media outlets and opposition figures as part of a hostile ‘digital ecosystem’ attacking her government.
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aide → click → government
Critics decry the lists as blacklists that stigmatize independent media in one of the world’s deadliest countries for reporters.
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that → decry → reporters
The release of the lists comes as Sheinbaum’s administration prepares new ‘audience rights’ rules that would discourage television and radio outlets from broadcasting what the government calls ‘false’ information.
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government → come → what
In her previous job as mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum expressed outrage when a conservative critic proposed publicizing a list of prominent supporters of her leftist Morena political party.
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critic → express → party
“This is a fascist position,” then-Mayor Sheinbaum declared in 2021.
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Sheinbaum → declare → 2021
“Who makes lists?
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Who → make → lists
Those are the ones who make lists.”
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who → make → lists
Now, Sheinbaum finds her government accused of creating its own blacklists — this time naming journalists, media outlets and others at odds with her administration.
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government → find → administration
The president is facing a firestorm of criticism after her chief counsel, Luisa María Alcalde, unveiled the lists last week at the National Palace.
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counsel → face → Palace
She assailed a digital “ecosystem” of bots and trolls that, she contends, picks up on journalistic criticisms to amplify “false narratives” against Mexico’s leadership — or, as many critics call it, a “narco government.”
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critics → assail → it
Alcalde released two lists containing the names of 54 news outlets and journalists, and another ledger of 32 opposition politicians and groups.
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Alcalde → release → politicians
We journalists aren’t here to applaud the government
— Jorge Ramos, former Univision anchor
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journalists → applaud → government
As journalists lined up to condemn the lists, Sheinbaum denied any attempt at censorship and came to the defense of her suddenly embattled chief counsel — who, the president said, never targeted anyone directly.
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president → line → anyone
The lists did not propose any official actions against those named.
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lists → propose → those
“At no moment did she say ... ‘They are the bad journalists,’ or ‘the journalists who attack us,’ ” the president said.
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president → say → us
According to Sheinbaum, the point was that social media used journalistic accounts “to generate a propaganda scheme against the government.”
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media → accord → government
The president’s efforts didn’t quiet a crescendo of scathing rebuke from many journalists, who called the lists a government-backed effort to muzzle Mexico’s press.
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who → quiet → press
“It makes it seem like it’s something orchestrated, organized, that those of us mentioned here get together every night to generate messages, critiques, accusations [against] the government,” Carmen Aristegui, a leading Mexican journalist, said in a video response.
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Aristegui → make → response
“The history of humanity tells us that when a regime, when a government, decides to list names ... it has resulted in tragedies.”
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it → tell → tragedies
Aristegui’s eponymous news outlet was named on a list.
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outlet → name → list
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum let long-mounting frustrations with the Trump administration rise to the surface.
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frustrations → let → surface
Many journalists were especially outraged because of the extreme dangers faced by Mexican reporters, editors, columnists and photographers.
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journalists → face → reporters
At least 14 have been killed since Sheinbaum took office almost two years ago, noted Jorge Ramos, the Mexican-born former Univision anchor whose name appears on a list.
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name → kill → list
“The list adds yet more pressure for a profession under attack,” Ramos wrote in the newspaper Reforma, which was also listed.
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which → add → newspaper
“The principal problem with this list is the total ignorance about the work of independent journalism,” wrote Ramos, who has clashed publicly with Sheinbaum and her predecessor and mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
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who → write → Sheinbaum
“We journalists aren’t here to applaud the government.”
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We → applaud → government
Some journalists cheekily celebrated their inclusion — just as, in the 1970s, U.S. journalists and others named on President Nixon’s “enemies list” viewed their presence as a badge of honor.
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journalists → celebrate → honor
“Thanks for including me,” wrote Denise Dresser, known for her acerbic anti-government columns.
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Dresser → include → columns
“To be there confirms that criticism still stings them, pluralism weighs on them, dissent keeps them awake, and freedom of speech is not your thing.
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freedom → confirm → speech
We’ll see each other in the next ecosystem.”
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We → see → ecosystem
The list of political figures includes two ex-presidents, Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderón, both conservative adversaries of Sheinbaum and López Obrador.
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list → include → Sheinbaum
Sheinbaum denied any attempt to compile a blacklist.
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Sheinbaum → deny → blacklist
“There was no list,” Sheinbaum told reporters Tuesday during a heated exchange at her regular morning news conference.
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Sheinbaum → be → conference
“Names were presented. ...
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Names → present → ?
What was demonstrated was the use of digital platforms, of social media, to amplify and generate false news.”
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demonstrated → demonstrate → news
The president rejected any suggestion of censorship.
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president → reject → censorship
“Nobody is censored,” she said.
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she → censor → ?
“Who has been censored here?
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Who → censor → ?
Name one journalist whom we have censored?
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we → name → whom
…and 18 more, not listed.
