As The Washington Post lays off a third of its journalists – in sports, photography, books, a podcast, international and local news – here in New Mexico we are mourning the loss of a different journalistic institution.
The Gallup Independent halted publication after 62 years. There will be no more of “the truth well told” – the paper’s longtime slogan – for the residents of Gallup, nearby communities and the adjacent Navajo Nation.
Increases in production costs, a decline in readership and a decrease in advertising led to the decision, according to the newspaper. A turbulent Gallup economy played a part, as did COVID-19, tariffs, increased newsprint costs and even the rising cost of silver. In a town where the production and sale of Native-made jewelry contributes to the local economy, increased silver prices are impacting all local businesses.
Now, Gallup’s 21,000 residents and the 120,000 people in its regional trading area will have fewer places to find reputable, reported news. There still will be the Gallup Sun, the monthly Gallup Journey and radio stations. The Navajo Times, in Window Rock, also covers Gallup issues. Nearby in Grants is the weekly Cibola Citizen.
The four-day-a-week Independent peaked at a circulation of 18,000 in 2006. Its last run was a little under 5,000 copies. Publisher Bob Zollinger told Source New Mexico, “The bottom line is, something happened and the bottom fell out.”
The bottom has fallen out for newspapers across the nation. The same week the Post announced its layoffs, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said it is letting 50 employees go, including in the newsroom. The Georgia newspaper also has ceased its print edition, choosing to go all-digital.
This is bad for democracy. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the lack of unbiased reporting leads to a number of bad outcomes. Increased polarization, lower voting turnout, greater government corruption and less accountability all are consequences of the loss of independent watchdogs.
Northwestern University’s Local News Initiative found in 2024 – and the downturn is worse now – that 1,500 counties across the United States have only one local news outlet, and more than 200 counties have none.
Such deserts result in less factual local election coverage, limited watchdog coverage of government, and fewer stories about local businesses and community news like outstanding scholars and athletes. A loss of a newspaper leaves communities less united. And that’s a darn shame.
At the national level, The New York Times remains as a stalwart news organization covering government, business, the nation and world. Its leaders turned an advertising-based product into one fueled by subscriptions – not just news, but Cooking, Games and Wirecutter, extras sold in bundles.
Numerous independent sites are producing news, whether as nonprofits or independent startups paid for with subscriptions. Newspapers such as The Santa Fe New Mexican continue their work with daily print newspapers, a robust website, weekly podcasts, issue-based newsletters and specialty magazines, despite the challenging economic landscape.
Washington Post leaders did not make wise business decisions, however, choices independent of the challenges facing all journalism publications.
Billionaire owner Jeff Bezos – Amazon founder – finally decided to cut costs drastically, reducing the number of employees across the business by 30%. Yet the top bosses whose bad decisions have helped the paper struggle remain in place. Bezos was among those making incomprehensible choices.
Seen as a savior when he bought the Post in 2013, Bezos made the critical decision to pull at the last minute the newspaper’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris for president in 2024. That cost the newspaper about 250,000 subscribers, hardly improving the bottom line.
Now, the paper whose slogan is “Democracy dies in darkness” will stumble along, its future uncertain. The loss of 300 reporters and editors weakens journalism, just as the loss of the Gallup Independent leaves New Mexico with less essential news coverage. Tough times, with The New Mexican doubling down in its 177th year of existence to cover the news, remembering always that “truth is great and will prevail.”
Guest commentary courtesy of the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Editorial Board. Ellen Stein returns Feb. 27.
