Alejandra Xanic's career is recognized for its rigor and courage.

Diana Alonso

Journalist Alejandra Xanic, a graduate of the Communication Sciences program at ITESO, was awarded the 2024 National Journalism Prize in the Lifetime Achievement category. The jury unanimously granted the award during a ceremony held at the University of Guanajuato. This prize recognizes more than three decades dedicated to investigative journalism, focused on holding power accountable, denouncing abuses, and fighting corruption.

She began her career at media outlets such as Siglo 21 and Reforma , where she distinguished herself through her coverage of human rights and transparency issues. She has contributed to publications such as Gatopardo , National Geographic , and The New York Times , and has spearheaded projects like Quinto Elemento Lab to strengthen investigative journalism in Mexico. Her work has been recognized with national and international awards, including the National Journalism Prize in 1992 for her coverage of the April 22 explosions in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for her investigation into bribery at Walmart in Mexico, published in The New York Times .

“The trajectory is really a series of accidents, deliberate decisions, and many others that are simply a matter of luck […] I’m nowhere near the end […] I’m very grateful to be reunited with friends and to see here the reporting, tough, strong, local […] the journalism that matters most […] the one that will keep us, I hope, relevant in people’s lives,” Xanic said.

In addition to this recognition, the event also awarded prizes to works in eight categories, most of which focused on social issues such as forced disappearance, migration, femicides, and gentrification. These pieces reflect the complex reality of the country and underscore the urgent need to keep the defense of human rights on the public agenda.

Cultural Journalism: The piece “Indigenous Musical Instruments, the Voice of the Gods That Refuses to Disappear,” published on Canal Once, was produced by Naixieli Melina Castillo García, Vicente Barrera Valencia, Paola Anaí Hernández Sánchez, Mónica Natalia Jiménez López, Carolina Barrera Mata, and Enrique Pérez Manríquez. This research highlights the rich sound and symbolism of native instruments through testimonies and audiovisual recordings.

Science Journalism: The piece titled “They Don’t Know About Me,” published by Radio Televisión (RTV) of Veracruz and TV UV of the Universidad Veracruzana, was developed by José Luis Guevara Zárate, Aurelio Hernández Morales, Eder Ortiz Arano, Hugo Garizurieta Bernabe, Carlos Moisés Aguilar Herrera, Emmanuel Jiménez Portilla, and Carlos Domínguez Romero. This report sheds light on lamellar ichthyosis, a rare disease that has affected many people in the indigenous community of El Campanario in Veracruz, highlighting the lack of medical care and the social stigma surrounding it.

Photography: The work “Between Saturation and Hope: Portraits of Migration in Central Mexico,” published in Julio Astillero, was created by Hans-Máximo Musielik Morera. This visual essay portrays migration with a human perspective.

Honorable Mention: “Heading North”, by Pedro Valtierra Anza, published by Claroscuro .

Opinion and Analysis Journalism: The article “Culiacán: The Lie That Brought Us Here,” published in El Noroeste , was written by Adrián López Ortiz. This piece reflects on the violence in Sinaloa.

Honorable Mention: “The ethical dilemmas of working with leaks”, by Lilia Saúl Rodríguez, published in the University of Mexico Magazine .

Chronicle / Narrative Journalism: The piece “Chander, the Child Soccer Player Shot by Police,” published in El Muro MX , was written by Antonio Rodríguez Mundaca. This account reconstructs the life and death of a teenager who was a victim of state violence.

Honorable Mention: “Chiapas, Territory Taken Over”, by Beatriz Torres Guillén, Pablo Ferri Tórtola and Alejandro Santos Cid, published in El País Mexico .

Cartoon / Comic Strip / Animated Cartoon: The work “A Practical Guide to Defeating Real Estate Giants,” published in Chilango , was created by Carlos Carabaña Ruiz del Árbol. This comic strip denounces gentrification and narrates how organized residents confronted corporate and governmental interests.

Honorable Mention: “From Rhetoric to Reality”, by Gonzalo Rocha González Pacheco, published in La Jornada .

Report: The article “We’re not going to open the door for them… What happened the night of the fire at the migrant shelter in Ciudad Juárez?”, published in La Verdad Juárez , was produced by Rocío Idalia Gallegos Rodríguez, Gabriela Minjares Baltazar, and Blanca Elizabeth Carmona Orozco. This transmedia investigation explains the tragedy that claimed the lives of 40 migrants.

Honorable mentions: “What happens to families forced to leave their homes after a femicide?”, by Ana Belén Tinajero Flores, published in Volcánicas , and “Trailers, a trap for migrants”, by Ronny Rojas, Eulimar Núñez, Ángela Cantador, María Teresa Ronderos, Martha Olivia López, Albinson Linares, Pablo Medina, Martina María de los Ángeles Mariscal, Jody García, Allan Bu, Brenda Medina, Carlos Gonzáles, Miguel Ángel León, Luisa Fernanda López Arias, Marion Briancesco, Alejandra Saavedra López, Jose Luis Osuna, Jesús Escudero, Delphine Reuter, Jose Luis Peñarredonda, Mayra Báez, Damián Bonmatí, Bruno García, Christian Trujillo Gallegos, Isabel Mateos, Antonio Cucho, Santiago Compotes, Rodrigo Saenz, Geysell Cisneros, Iris Castro, Juliana Jiménez, Horacio Arias, Alejandra Arteaga, Victoria Albanesi, Bruno García, Marta Planells, Juan Baez and Valeria León, published by En un 2x3 Tamaulipas , Chiapas Paralelo , Noticias Telemundo, the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP), Pie de Página , Plaza Pública , Contracorriente , the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and Bellingcat .

Interview: The work “I didn’t know how strong I was, until it was my last option; Mónica Esparza, survivor of torture by the Torreón police”, published in “Semanario”, supplement of the Vanguardia newspaper, was done by Francisco Javier Rodríguez Lozano.

Honorable mentions: “Intimate Portrait of an Unbreakable Mother”, by Francisco Javier Quintero Flores and Francisco Javier Marín Aguilar, published in La Verdad Noticias, and “Stories from Here and There”, by Enrique Cordero Pérez, Eduardo Torres Revilla and Gerardo Chairez Flores, broadcast by the Zacatecas Radio and Television System.

In total, the jury evaluated 1,141 works from the 32 entities of the country.

Claudia Susana Gómez López, president of the Citizen Council of the Prize, stated: “Alejandra makes us reflect on the ongoing challenges faced by those who fulfill the social task of journalism. She reminds us that journalists sharpen their senses to know not only what matters to others, but also what should matter to us so that we can address it.”

She added that journalism is a collective endeavor that demands interdisciplinary collaboration to understand an increasingly complex reality. With this award, Xanic reaffirms her role as a leading figure in Mexican journalism and as an inspiration for new generations seeking to practice the profession with conviction and responsibility.