Francisco Javier Ortiz Franco (Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 1954 – Tijuana, Baja California, 22 June 2004) was a Mexican journalist. A view of downtown Guanajuato from one of its many hills. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tijuana (Spanish [tixwana], English usually [ËŒtiːəˈwÉ‘nÉ™]), is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California and the seat of the municipality of Tijuana; the citys current mayor is Jorge Hank Rhon of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Journalism is a discipline of collecting, analyzing, verifying, and presenting news regarding current events, trends, issues and people. ...

He was shot five times at the wheel of his car by masked gunmen in a drive-by shooting. The murder took place in full view of his son and daughter (aged 8 and 10), as he left a midday doctor's appointment.

At the time of his death, he was one of three contributing editors to the Baja Californian newsmagazine Zeta. This weekly publication, which he had helped found in 1980, was known for its investigative ("crusading", according to some accounts) journalism. Of its other founders, Héctor Félix Miranda was murdered in 1988 by an employee of local caudillo (and current PRI mayor) Jorge Hank Rhon, and, in 1997, Jesús Blancornelas was shot at and severely injured in an attack that left his personal bodyguard dead. Baja California (literally lower California in Spanish) is the northernmost state of Mexico. ... Zeta cover, October 2005 Zeta is a Mexican magazine published every Thursday in Tijuana by Choix Editores. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Caudillo is a Spanish (caudilho in Portuguese) word designating a political-military leader at the head of an authoritative power. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... PRI may refer to: Partido Revolucionario Institucional, a major political party in Mexico Public Radio International Primary rate interface Precision Reflex, Inc. ... Jorge Hank Rhon is a Mexican millionaire businessman, the owner of Mexicos largest sports betting company, Caliente. ... Jesús Blancornelas (1936 – 23 November 2006) was a Mexican journalist. ...

External links

• BBC
• AP
• Al Margen (Spanish, with biography)
• IFEX