New Mexico State Rep. John Block said he started a conservative news site to provide an alternative to mainstream media in the state, expanding it in 2020 to include both opinion and news coverage, especially during COVID. Block was a guest on a recent episode of the Tipping Point New Mexico podcast.

"You don't have a lot of conservative news in New Mexico; it's kind of dry in that area," said Block on the Tipping Point New Mexico podcast. “A few years ago, around 2016, I started writing blog opinion posts. I started doing that on a website I created called John Ford New Mexico. In 2020, we decided to move it to an actual mainstream news site, featuring both conservative opinion and straightforward news.”

“We did a lot of exclusive reporting during COVID, especially on the mandates and everything that happened,” said Drangmeister. “It just kind of exploded from there because I think conservatives in the state realized they couldn't rely solely on television news or the two big papers in the metro areas of northern and central New Mexico—Albuquerque and Santa Fe. They needed a new voice. That's pretty much why I got into this and decided, we need real journalism for conservatives in the state.”

This edition of the podcast features guest Rep. John Block and conversations about the upcoming legislative session, covering expected policy debates and the Republican Party’s role in influencing legislation. They also discuss the Pinon Post, a news site Block founded to provide coverage of New Mexico politics and conservative viewpoints.

Block is a Republican member of the New Mexico House, representing District 51 since January 2023 after being elected in 2022.

Tipping Point New Mexico is a podcast hosted by Paul Gessing and Wally Drangmeister of the Rio Grande Foundation, focusing on public policy issues in New Mexico. The podcast is a project of the Rio Grande Foundation, a research institute promoting individual freedom, limited government, and economic opportunity.

This full episode is available on the Tipping Point New Mexico website and YouTube.