Feb. 2, 2026

The Independent’s closure comes amid a worsening news landscape in New Mexico, particularly in rural areas and among Indigenous communities. A recent report from the New Mexico Local News Fund found that nearly half of the state’s local news outlets are concentrated in four metropolitan areas. Outside Albuquerque/Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Las Cruces and Farmington, news outlets are “overwhelmingly small and under-resourced,” according to the report. 

Dec. 17, 2025

“The map is of great value to New Mexico, a free press is the connective tissue between residents and the institutions that shape daily life – schools, law enforcement, local government, courts, infrastructure, public health, and the many local community organizations that keep this county running.

For Cibola County, it also serves as a reminder that consistent local reporting still takes real labor, real time, and real community backing.”

Dec. 8, 2025

Only two-thirds of New Mexico residents say they have access to trustworthy local news, according to a new report by the New Mexico Local News Fund.

Nov. 28, 2025

Rural counties in New Mexico have scant news coverage of their communities, and Native American and Spanish-speaking residents have few options in their languages. These are just two of the takeaways from a recent in-depth analysis of the state’s news ecosystem, published alongside an interactive local news map.

Nov. 24, 2025

KUNM spoke with project directors Gwyneth Doland, a University of New Mexico Communications and Journalism professor, and former journalism professor Michael Marcotte.

Nov. 14, 2025

The New Mexico News map and news report reflect the presence of local news in New Mexico, showing where journalism is strongest and where it needs support, according to its creators, former University of New Mexico professor Michael Marcotte and current UNM Journalism professor Gwyneth Doland.