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Most New Mexico newspapers say they do the best they
can to provide coverage of state politics, but they openly admit
they are up against a number of challenges. First, there is limited
interest in the kind of political news that activists really want.
Second, there is the problem of extremely limited space. Precious
column inches of actual news must be grossly overmatched by enormous
advertising space. Whole stories have to be cut severely, if run
at all. A paper with 100,000 readers may be fully aware that only
three or four thousand of their readers really want to read overtly
political stories. The paper is torn between going ahead and providing
that news anyway, their actual duty--and raison d'etre of journalism
after all--and satisfying the need to provide both the soft news
the overwhelming majority of readers want as well as the several
pounds of advertising newsprint required to pay the bills.
The result is little newsprint concerning actual political news,
and most of it rehashed and inaccurate. There simply isn't time,
staff, or incentive to do more. No one blames them for this, least
of all us, it is just the way things are. In New Mexico, with our
small population, and very limited competition in the media, it
is simply far worse than in most states.
We aim to fill the gaps that are out there, and in a responsible,
fair and balanced way. Regarding electronic media, the commercial
TV and radio news outlets do a reasonable job and, to this point,
seem to try to be balanced. With the exceptions of Ron Stevens in
Roswell and Michael Swickard in Las Cruces, there are no "talk
radio" format shows in the state.
Albuquerque Tribune
unmatched---in Bias and Inaccuracy September 12, 2004
Richardson Asks
Himself One Last Time, Says "No" July 5, 2004
Regent-gate strikes
a Chord July 1, 2004
Richardson will
Never get the Call June 28, 2004
GOP Convention
Results, analysis and comment June 21, 2004
State Republican
Party: Issues to Sort Out March 28, 2004
Inaugural Issue
January 1, 2004
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