Inside ‘The West’s Oldest Newspaper’
Local News in America Series, EP3
How the Santa Fe New Mexican became a testament to the importance of local news ownership is straightforward: The independent daily was sold to Gannett. A decade later, it was back to its previous owner.
The cost-cutting measures for which Gannett is famous didn’t sit well with Robert M. McKinney, who did the selling, the subsequent suing for alleged breach of contract, and the buying back. Today, McKinney’s daughter, Robin Martin, is the owner and publisher of the New Mexican.
Since 1849, ‘The West’s Oldest Newspaper’ has chronicled the life and times of Santa Fe — from being conquered in the Mexican War and the region’s robust trading economy spurred by the Santa Fe Trail to its present-day challenges, which include a lack of affordable housing, racial divides, and the drying up of the Rio Grande due to climate change.
But the big story, according to Editorial Page Editor Inez Russell Gomez, is “keeping Santa Fe true to itself and to its origins.” One of the ways to do that is having the daily remain committed to printing seven days a week, in spite of the fact that other papers around the country are cutting back on the number of days they publish a print edition.
“I think the owners of the paper and our senior management way above my level, understand that a daily newspaper is something that people invite into their homes. And if you tell them we don’t need to be there on Friday or Saturday, I think they’re going to start saying, well, why do we need you the other days? So if we’re a necessity, we need to be a daily necessity,” notes Gomez.
Another anomaly you’ll find at the New Mexican: It has its own photographers, which is something increasingly rare in America’s local newspapers.
The New Mexican also exudes a quality that, in today’s modern media landscape, sets the local news apart from national news outlets: Its editorial page remains a place for people to find ideas and solutions to problems, as opposed to a place “to shout at each other,” noted Gomez.
This is old-school journalism, and it’s succeeding — not without its challenges, of course. The paper’s business model is a bit different because it’s a printing hub, which brings in revenue from other papers, including The New York Times.
Perhaps just as important to its survival is its spirit. The New Mexican knows its role, and it knows its community. It’s news that gets it.
— Jaci Clement
CEO & Executive Director
jaci@fairmediacouncil.org
Watch or Listen to EP 3 of our Local News in America Series
Watch EP 3 on YouTube: Local News in America ‘The West’s Oldest Newspaper’ Santa Fe New Mexican — YouTube
Listen to EP 3: FMC Fast Chat : Local News in America: ‘The West’s Oldest Newspaper’ on Apple Podcasts
Watch EP 2 on YouTube: FMC Fast Chat: Inside Alaska’s Oldest Newspaper, EP 2 Local News in America Project — YouTube
Listen to EP 2: FMC Fast Chat : Inside Alaska’s Oldest Newspaper on Apple Podcasts
Watch EP 1 on YouTube: ‘An Ounce of Truth’ Published Every Fortnight — Local News in America Project: New Hampshire Gazette — YouTube
Listen to EP 1: FMC Fast Chat : ‘An Ounce of Truth’ Published Every Fortnight on Apple Podcasts
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