The State of Local Media in 2025

This week is our annual Fourth of July ‘State of Local Media’ special. Late last year, Jay Newton-Small stepped in to lead the Albuquerque Journal following the ouster of former editor Patrick Etheridge, who was charged with shoplifting last fall. Newton-Small has been a journalist for more than two decades, writing for Time Magazine and Bloomberg News. Senior Producer Lou DiVizio asks Newton-Small about her vision for the state’s largest newspaper in the years ahead.

In June, the Republican-led House of Representatives voted to cut more than $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. If the Senate approves the proposal, two years of previously approved funding for public media will disappear. Reporter Cailley Chella speaks with staff from small public radio stations around the state about the looming federal funding cuts.  

We continue our look at the state of local public media as Host Nash Jones sits down with the new general manager of KUNM, Jeff Pope. Nash returns to their former workplace to meet the new boss and hear Pope’s first impressions and vision for the future. We dive into how KUNM can meet the moment while potentially weathering significant funding cuts.

The Santa Fe-based news collective 505omatic has garnered a strong digital following in its first year as an organization. Members tell Cailley how the group plugs into the ever-changing media landscape a bit differently.

Ctrl+P Publishing owner Pat Davis has been on each of our ‘State of the Local Media’ specials. Since the former Democratic Albuquerque City Councilor last stopped by our studio, his quickly growing local media company has hit a snag. Nash sits down with Davis to discuss the challenges and changes at his local outlets over the last year.

Host: Nash Jones

Segments:

New ABQ Journal Executive Editor on the Newspaper’s Future
Correspondent: Lou DiVizio
Guest: Jay Newton-Small, Executive Editor, Albuquerque Journal

Small Public Radio Stations Brace for Loss of Federal Funding
Correspondent: Cailley Chella
Guests: Tazbeh McCullah, General Manager, KSFR
Rachel Kaub, Station Manager, KGLP

New KUNM General Manager on Proposed CPB Cuts
Correspondent: Nash Jones
Guest: Jeff Pope, General Manager, KUNM

505omatic on Telling Stories, Hearing from Community in Santa Fe
Correspondent: Cailley Chella
Guests:
Dezbaá, Actor, 505omatic Contributor
Warren Langford, Executive Producer, 505omatic
Gwyneth Doland, Journalism Professor and NMiF Politics Correspondent, University of New Mexico

Pat Davis on Challenges Facing Ctrl+P Publishing and its Outlets
Correspondent: Nash Jones
Guest: Pat Davis, Owner, Ctrl+P Publishing