By Edith Loyola 
Carmen Aristegui Flores was born on January 18, 1964, in Mexico City. She comes from a family that went into exile in Mexico following the Spanish Civil War, a background that deeply shaped her social awareness from an early age. She completed her high school studies at the South Campus of the Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades and later entered the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where she studied Communication Sciences.
During her university years, Aristegui demonstrated a strong interest in public affairs, particularly those related to politics, social justice, and human rights. This focus played a crucial role in shaping her professional path toward critical and investigative journalism.
In 1987, she began her media career as an assistant on the financial news program Monitor Financiero, broadcast by Imevisión, then a public television network. This initial experience helped her develop expertise in analyzing economic information, which would later complement her work across various journalistic formats.
Career Development in Analysis and Investigative Journalism
Over the following decades, Aristegui built a solid career across numerous media outlets. She hosted programs such as En Blanco y Negro on MVS, Noticias 52MX on Channel 52, and Círculo Rojo on Televisa—a political analysis show she co-hosted with Javier Solórzano in 2001. She also participated in Primer Plano on Channel 11 and led Partidos Políticos for over five years.
From 2003 to 2006, she worked on Hoy por Hoy, a news show aired by XEW and operated by Radiópolis, where she addressed topics including reproductive rights, electoral reform, and cases of abuse of power. In 2008, she was dismissed from the program after covering issues deemed controversial by the media conglomerate, according to Aristegui Noticias.
Starting in 2009, she led Primera Emisión de Noticias MVS, a widely listened-to radio program. In 2015, she was fired after she and her team revealed the existence of a high-value property registered under the name of then-First Lady Angélica Rivera—a scandal that became widely known as “La Casa Blanca.”
This episode led to her departure from MVS and her subsequent transition to digital platforms. Since January 16, 2017, she has hosted Aristegui en Vivo through YouTube and the news portal Aristegui Noticias. She also remains a host on Aristegui for CNN en Español and is a columnist for the newspaper Reforma.
National and International Recognition
In recognition of her journalistic work, Carmen Aristegui has received numerous awards both in Mexico and internationally. Some of the most notable honors include:
- Mexico’s National Journalism Award, in multiple categories and years, including chronicle, panel discussion, and impactful reporting.
- The Club de Periodistas Award, granted across various editions for her ethical commitment to journalism.
- The Maria Moors Cabot Prize, awarded by Columbia University for her contribution to journalism in Latin America.
- The Gabo Prize, granted by the Gabo Foundation for a career marked by excellence and journalistic courage.
- The Knight International Journalism Award, presented by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ).
- The Legion of Honour of France, in the rank of Chevalier, for her commitment to freedom of expression.
She has also presided over institutions such as the Walter Reuter German Journalism Prize and the Javier Valdez Cárdenas Award by Penguin Random House.
Origins and Aims of the Campaign Against Her
According to the investigation #TelevisaLeaks, published by Aristegui Noticias, Carmen Aristegui was the target of a systematic smear campaign organized from within Grupo Televisa. This operation was executed by a team known as “Palomar,” coordinated by Javier Tejado Dondé, then Vice President of the broadcaster’s Information Office.
Leaked documents reveal that the team continuously monitored the content produced by Aristegui Noticias and the Aristegui en Vivo program. They responded to critical publications with actions designed to protect the broadcaster’s corporate interests, including the creation of fake content.
In chat logs reviewed by the media outlet, Aristegui’s name appears more than 300 times, and at least 450 files related to her and her team were found. These materials included photomontages, image manipulation, out-of-context video edits, fabricated chat messages, and the dissemination of such content on social media.
Documented Examples of Attacks
One of the most documented cases occurred after the September 19, 2017, earthquake, when various media outlets reported the alleged rescue of a girl named “Frida Sofía” at the Enrique Rébsamen School. Aristegui Noticias debunked the official version by presenting testimonies such as that of interpreter Dorian Riva, who stated:
“The existence of Frida Sofía and everything related to her rescue was false.”
The Navy confirmed that the minor did not exist. In a press conference, Deputy Secretary Enrique Sarmiento Beltrán stated:
“We were never aware of that version and are certain it was not real.”
Amid the media fallout, the “Palomar” group launched a digital operation to mitigate reputational damage to Televisa. This included the dissemination of videos that attempted to present all media outlets as equally responsible for the misinformation.
Another significant case took place in February 2024, following the publication of the report “Eduardo Fernández’s Complaint Against Televisa Executives,” which detailed money laundering allegations in the United States. In response, members of the “Palomar” team created a fake video in which Aristegui appeared to warn Fernández about an arrest warrant. The video used manipulated images and fabricated WhatsApp messages.
According to the files reviewed by Aristegui Noticias, Karla Aguilar—a member of Tejado Dondé’s team—acknowledged that Aristegui’s image was altered to make her appear as though she was “smiling,” and added:
“I’m just afraid it sounds too much like you,” referring to the voice filters used in the videos.
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Finally, it is important to note that the fake content was disseminated via social media accounts operated by the Televisa-Metrics network, such as “Conspiracción,” “ConsultaApp,” and “Todos Somos Morena.” According to Facebook’s ad history, paid ads reached more than one million users.
@lacartita 📂 Leaked documents expose how Televisa—one of Latin America's most powerful media giants—manipulated information to favor political and business elites. Key figures include Arturo Zaldívar, former Supreme Court president, and billionaire Carlos Slim, targeted by media attacks. A scandal that raises concerns about journalistic ethics and media independence in Mexico. #LaCartitaNews #TelevisaLeaks #MediaLeaks #PressFreedom #Televisa #Mexico ♬ original sound – La Cartita News
In addition, there was an attempt to link Aristegui to publications involving Governor Layda Sansores. When Aristegui Noticias covered alleged messages between Sansores and Javier Tejado Dondé, new fake content was generated to discredit both the journalist and the state governor.
The journalist denied receiving any compensation for that coverage. In her response, she stated:
“It’s completely false that our site received any money for that publication.”
This response was later edited and repurposed to create additional attack materials, according to the documents released in #TelevisaLeaks.