She won the Golden Pen of Freedom Award 2012, which is presented annually by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.

She left Milenio and also her job at El Universal, allegedly because of indirect government pressure on the papers to censor her work.

She has worked but earlier reported for the national newspapers Reforma, and El Universal and its supplemental magazine La Revista.

[10] In her editorial, she wrote, "If we remain silent we kill freedom, justice, and the possibility that a society armed with information may have the power to change the situation that has brought us to this point.

"[11] In 2001, Hernández, while working at Milenio, broke the news story about the "extravagance" with which the winning presidential candidate, Vicente Fox, had decorated his personal accommodation using public funds, while he was campaigning on a ticket of "economic austerity.

The official investigation led to evidence of overcharges, purchases for which there were no orders, and names and phone numbers of companies who had made charges that no longer existed.

[9][14][15] The book has sold over 100,000 copies; Hernández says its popularity is an indication of the absence of information about the drug trade in Mexico.

[18] Hernández has received numerous death threats from the government of Mexico itself since writing about the drug cartels and is under protection.