'El Chapo': A Master Of Social Media

el chapo public relations strategy and crisis management

Sean Penn’s interview with Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is a stark, albeit bizarre reminder about the power of “citizen journalism”—and getting your message out through unconventional means.

PR Pros Can Learn From A Mexican Drug Lord About Getting Their Message Out

Penn, the Oscar-winning actor and part-time activist, pulled off what can best be described as a media coup when he interviewed the drug lord in October in the Mexican jungle after Guzman’s jail break. The interview, which ran in Rolling Stone, seems to have precipitated the recapture of Guzman in the city of Los Mochis, near where the interview was conducted. Guzman is now facing possible extradition to the United States, where he has been indicted by at least seven U.S. federal courts. Penn has been widely condemned for the doing the interview, which was reportedly arranged by the Mexican actress Kate del Castillo. White House chief of staff Denis McDonough declined to answer a question about whether the U.S. would hand Penn over to Mexico for questioning, while GOP candidate Marco Rubio said the Q&A was “grotesque,” according to the BBC. Political and legal ramifications aside, the episode raises a few key questions for PR pros to consider. We’re not going to try and figure out Guzman’s motivation for the secret meeting—which may doom him to a life in prison—but he was able to demonstrate that if you have a message you want to distribute to the world you don’t necessarily need the New York Times, ABC News or Reuters as a media conduit. What is more, with an increasingly fragmented media environment—in which digital communications win the day—a “citizen journalist” like Sean Penn can wield just as much clout in telling a story as bona fide reporters and broadcasters for major media outlets. Call it another wake-up call to pay close attention to “influencers,” who can have a huge impact on your brand or organization for good or ill and are not to be underestimated. Another PR thread in the story is Rolling Stone’s motivation. It wasn’t that long ago that Rolling Stone was getting dragged through the media muck because of its article—later retracted—about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity. A report published by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and commissioned by Rolling Stone said the magazine failed to engage in “basic, even routine journalistic” practice to verify the details of the ordeal described by the article’s author. Rolling Stone is understandably trying to change the narrative about its brand. It may not be what it bargained for, but the publication certainly has changed the conversation.

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , his writing on AI communications and brand reputation is published on his personal site, and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. He continues that commentary on his own publishing platform , where he writes about reputation, crisis, and AI-mediated discovery. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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