New Report + Interactive Map Reveal the State of Local News in New Mexico
The New Mexico Local News Fund is proud to share the release of the New Mexico Local News Ecosystem Report 2025 and the launch of the New Mexico News Map, a first-of-its-kind interactive tool that reveals where local journalism is thriving—and where critical gaps remain. Developed in collaboration with UNM and MVM Consulting, this comprehensive study provides the clearest view yet of New Mexico’s news landscape and offers actionable insights for strengthening coverage across the state. The full press release is included below.
Interactive Map Provides New Insights
The New Mexico News Map site features a data-driven interactive map that allows users to explore the state’s local news landscape in detail. It maps the locations of all local media outlets that met the researcher’s criteria of ongoing, original, factual, and local coverage. Users can filter outlets by medium, language, business model, and impact level, as well as view Census-based characteristics of communities.
The map also highlights the “Community Impact Level” of each outlet, offering insights into the breadth and depth of local news coverage. For researchers, funders, and journalists, the map offers a powerful way to visualize where local journalism is thriving—and where support is most urgently needed.
Users also have access to the map’s underlying database to sort for themselves.
A Call to Action for the Future of Local News
The report emphasizes the need for collaborative solutions to strengthen local journalism in New Mexico. Key recommendations include:
Expanding funding and resources for small, rural, and tribal news outlets.
Strengthening newsroom training programs and fostering innovation with fellowships and accelerators.
Diversifying revenue streams beyond advertising to include memberships, sponsorships, and donations.
Aligning public policy with public-interest journalism by improving broadband access, supporting tax incentives for local news, and directing public notice spending to local outlets.
“This effort is about more than just identifying the challenges,” said Michael Marcotte of MVM Consulting. “It’s about building a stronger, more sustainable future for local journalism in New Mexico and ensuring that every resident has access to trustworthy, relevant information about their community.”
UNM Professor of Practice Gwyneth Doland adds that media practitioners in New Mexico, and residents themselves, are encouraged to review the report and help fill in any gaps they see, using an online feedback form.
“The interactive map and the report are tools for action. They help clarify where coverage is thin, where collaboration can pay off, and how to support local news that reflects New Mexico’s diversity,” Doland said.
The New Mexico News Map is a collaborative effort supported by the New Mexico Local News Fund, UNM’s Center for Regional Studies, and Press Forward New Mexico. The project is co-led by Michael Marcotte and Gwyneth Doland under the auspices of LNF, directed by Rashad Mahmood. The project goal is to foster a more informed, connected, and engaged New Mexico.
