MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has long derided journalists as biased, pretentious “sellouts” who are aligned with his political enemies. His morning news conferences feature an occasional segment called “Who’s Who of Lies,” in which he names and shames reporters who he accuses of peddling “fake news.”
On Friday, Lopez Obrador escalated his war against the media when he revealed to the public the supposed salary details of a famous investigative journalist who recently reported that one of the president’s sons has a lavish lifestyle at odds with the president’s austere image.
Lopez Obrador said the journalist, Carlos Loret de Mola, earns much more than he does, comparing their salaries at a news conference on a large screen. Threatening to sick tax authorities on Loret, he suggested the journalist earns money for “hitting him” with critical stories.
