Nayarit Governor Antonio Echevarría García warned public officials this week that newspapers are only good for swatting flies.

The statement came after criticism in the media of García’s handling of security, education and economic policies.

During an event in the municipality of Compostela, Echevarría assured local citizens that five months after taking office his work is showing results, before going on to take a swipe at the media.

“Newspapers, my father would say, are only good for swatting flies,” the governor said in reference to former governor Antonio Echevarría Domínguez. Both he and another former governor, Rogelio Flores Curiel, had used the phrase before.

Echevarría said social media has encouraged many people to consider themselves journalists but they shouldn’t be trusted. He also said journalists want to be bribed but he’s not giving in. He encouraged public officials to close their ears and their eyes to the press.

Looking back, Echevarría recalled that 12 years ago justice was served by using a gun but today the attorney general is in charge, and no one is above the law.

(It might have been fewer than a dozen years ago that the gun played a prominent role given the accusations that have been leveled at former attorney general Édgar Veytia, now facing drug charges in the United States.)

In the past five months the fight against organized crime in the state has left 364 people dead and 400 missing. In addition, 67 bodies have been recovered from hidden graves.