This week on New Mexico in Focus, the program assesses New Mexico's media ecosystem in celebration of Independence Day. Correspondent Gwyneth Doland engages with three individuals working to enhance the financial stability of local news organizations.
At Searchlight New Mexico, investigative reporter Alicia Inez Guzmán covers the state's nuclear legacy and future, including aspects of the New Cold War. In a detailed conversation with Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus, Guzmán discusses her award-winning story, “Buried secrets, poisoned bodies.” The story delves into illegal autopsies conducted by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory and doctors at Los Alamos Medical Center over 35 years. Guzmán also addresses the unique challenges faced by reporters covering atomic issues in the 21st century.
Executive Producer Jeff Proctor interviews Pat Davis of CTRL+P Publishing and Rich Connor of El Rito Media Group about their recent acquisitions of newspapers. They discuss declining trust in media, reasons why readers should trust partisan ownership, and whether their goal is profitability.
NMiF airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) on Friday, July 5 at 7 p.m., Sunday, July 7 at 7 a.m., and is available for streaming on the PBS video app.
NMiF Segments:
- Stopping the Spread of News Deserts
- Correspondent: Gwyneth Doland
- Guests: Christina Shih (Associate Director, Press Forward), Michael Marcotte (Retired Professor, UNM Communication & Journalism Department), Rashad Mahmood (Executive Director, New Mexico Local News Fund)
- Covering the New Cold War
- Correspondent: Laura Paskus
- Guest: Alicia Inez Guzmán (Investigative Reporter, Searchlight NM)
- News Ownership in NM
- Correspondent: Jeff Proctor
- Guests: Pat Davis (Owner, Ctrl+P Publishing), Rich Connor (Editor & Investor, El Rito Media Group)
New Mexico in Focus is a prime-time news magazine show from New Mexico PBS that covers events and issues shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. It examines social, political, economic health, education, and art issues with an in-depth approach to provide context beyond immediate news.
The executive producer for public affairs at NMPBS is Jeff Proctor. Lou DiVizio serves as senior producer for public affairs. Laura Paskus is senior producer for "Our Land." Antonio Sanchez is the producer of New Mexico in Focus with Kathy Wimmer as co-producer.
Funding for New Mexico in Focus comes from the McCune Charitable Foundation and viewers like you. Additional funding for Your New Mexico Government Project is provided by the Thornburg Foundation and New Mexico Local News Fund. The Neeper Natural History Programming Fund supports Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present & Future.