MEXICO CITY — Carmen Aristegui, a widely respected Mexican journalist who has investigated the president's hidden properties, has come under attack by her employer, MVS Radio, for forging an alliance with the recently launched whistleblower site Mexicoleaks without the media company's authorization. Two members of her reporting team have been fired.

"The use of our brand, without express authorization from its owners, constitutes not only a grievance and an offense, but also a deception to society, as it involves an unfortunate abuse of trust," said a release from MVS Radio, where Aristegui has been hosting Primera Emisión, a morning show, since 2009.

Aristegui, in turn, said she was surprised by the public manner in which MVS Radio, which is owned by Mexican businessman Joaquín Vargas, criticized her actions. "We will see what it is about, where it comes from, and get to the bottom of a message with these characteristics," said Aristegui during her morning show on Thursday, adding that an independent platform like Mexicoleaks provides journalists with an essential tool to fight corruption.

In a country where the dominating media company, Televisa, is perceived by many to regularly censor information that is uncomfortable to ruling government interests, Aristegui is warmly regarded as an invaluable source of nonpartisan news.

Social media users, including leading members of the press corps, galvanized behind Aristegui. "Whoever minimizes persecution and censorship of #reporterteam MVS ignores legal principles of #FreedomOfExpression #EndefensadeAristegui," tweeted leading feminist journalist Lydia Cacho. The last hashtag Cacho tweeted out translates to "In defense of Aristegui."

"If Vargas/MVS do not reach an agreement with Carmen Aristegui and she withdraws from radio, they will have contributed to the unfortunate Putinization of Mexico," tweeted Denise Dresser, a political scientist and author of the book One's Country: Reflexions on How to Understand and Change Mexico.

A Change.org petition to protect Aristegui's position at MVS had garnered 75,000 signatures by Friday morning.