Local Media Association is pleased to announce the news organizations selected to participate in the New Mexico cohort of the Lab for Journalism Funding, an intensive, six-month program that brings the lab’s proven fundraising practices to independent news organizations across the state.

The 14 organizations selected for the 2025 Lab for Journalism Funding New Mexico cohort represent local newsrooms big and small, serving diverse communities across the state of New Mexico, all united in their focus on civic journalism. The New Mexico cohort of the Lab for Journalism Funding is made possible with support from Google News Initiative and is in partnership with the New Mexico Local News Fund. The lab will help these local news organizations develop and execute comprehensive programs to secure philanthropic support for their essential local journalism that is responsive to community priorities. The lab runs from April through September 2025.

The news organizations selected are:

About the Lab for Journalism Funding

The New Mexico cohort will be led by Liz White Notarangelo, former publisher of the Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut) and a graduate of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding and LMA Advanced Fundraising Lab. Newsrooms will receive one-on-one coaching from a team of coaches, in partnership with the New Mexico Local News Fund.

“We are excited to partner with LMA to provide training for newsrooms across the state of New Mexico as part of our 2025 Local News Accelerator program,” said Rashad Mahmood, executive director of the New Mexico Local News Fund. “We believe these fundraising best practices will help local news outlets in New Mexico sustain their critical work into the future.”

Since launching in 2020, the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding has trained nearly 150 newsrooms in best practices for growing community support for essential local journalism, thanks to support from Google News Initiative. To date, alumni of the lab have raised more than $28 million to sustain local news. 

In 2025, with new GNI support, the Lab for Journalism Funding will lead state cohorts in Illinois and California as well as New Mexico. The lab will also expand fundraising support for alumni and offer another national cohort of the lab in the fall, with new funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

“The Google News Initiative has been a long-standing partner of the Lab for Journalism Funding,” said Lauren Ashcraft, news partner manager at Google. “It was exciting to see the success of the new state cohorts of the lab from last year and we’re thrilled to support an expansion of the program in these important states. We look forward to our continued partnership with LMA and its members.”

LMA has also published two industry reports, Pathways to Philanthropy and Sustaining Philanthropy for Journalism, free to newsrooms to download to help local newsrooms apply best practices from the lab to their own philanthropic efforts.

Meet the Newsrooms

Albuquerque Journal

“The Albuquerque Journal strives to provide current, relevant news to all of New Mexico’s diverse communities. We are excited to explore new strategies that will help support our mission and better serve our readers.”

– Racquel Barnes, chief financial officer

Boomtown Los Alamos

“Boomtown is looking forward to working with the NM Local News Accelerator and Local Media Association to explore new funding opportunities that will allow us to continue to be the premiere source of independent and objective journalism for the citizens of Los Alamos County.”

– Minesh Bacrania, founder

Cloudcroft Reader

“As a news site with a small staff covering a vast geographic area, we hope to find new ways to leverage our content, expand our reach and develop sustainable sources of revenue — from individual and business pledges to other forms of contributions — to fuel our efforts. We seek new ways to engage with our community. The Reader has become the ‘voice of the mountain.’ Moving forward, we believe our mission is to inform and drive meaningful action that serves our neighbors.”

– Hannah Dean, senior editor and partner

El Rito Media (Rio Grande Sun)

“We are very excited to have our managing editor, Jennifer Garcia, participate in the New Mexico Lab for Journalism Funding. This program will help all of us at El Rito Media and specifically the Rio Grande Sun in Espanola.”

– Richard Connor, editor and publisher

Gallup Sun

“I am excited about this lab as it will provide the Gallup Sun the opportunity to explore new funding options. As for generating revenue for the newspaper, we haven’t dabbled with fundraising, so we’re looking forward to learning, and applying, these new skills.”

– Babette Herrmann, publisher

Chandler Broadcasting LLC/KCCC 930AM

“Chandler Broadcasting LLC/KCCC 930AM is excited to be a part of the LMA Lab. With the future of local news in rural communities very much in doubt, we are honored to have this opportunity for philanthropy as a path forward.”

– Jonathan Chandler, owner

New Mexico In Depth

“For years, our go-to source for engaging our readers has been email, and we’re in need of a fresh approach. We’re excited to collaborate with LMA and our fellow cohort participants over the next six months to figure out ways to grow our community and convert more of our readers who appreciate our journalism into small donors.”

– Trip Jennings, executive director

New Mexico Jewish Journal

“It’s especially far-sighted that the Local Media Association has included New Mexico this year in its journalism funding lab, a state with a wildly diverse population and economy heavily dependent on federal money. Training for newsrooms to grow philanthropic support is especially time-critical here for maintaining our independence in the face of real pressures to stifle freedom of the press.”

– Diane Joy Schmidt, publisher and editor

Organ Mountain News

“When I started Organ Mountain News, I wasn’t really thinking much beyond the editorial side of things — the content. I thought it should be easy. But I soon realized that there was so much more that goes into running a community-oriented news service. I’m hopeful that the Lab for Journalism Funding will help me learn the ins and outs of making a news organization sustainable.”

– Damien Willis, founder and editor

Taos News

“With guidance from the LMA Lab, we aim to enhance the impact of our Tradiciones edition, expand our audience, identify potential sponsors and connect with smaller communities throughout Northern New Mexico, including the two Indian Pueblos in our county.”

– Chris Baker, publisher

The Santa Fe New Mexican

“The Santa Fe New Mexican is 175 years young and committed to a future of making its philanthropically supported storytelling available for all New Mexicans, including the state’s news outlets. We’re off to a good start with our philanthropic journalism initiatives, but we’re excited to learn how we can be more effective and sustainable in donor relationships and strategic branding. The LMA Lab for Journalism Funding has a proven track record, and we look forward to learning from the best of the best.”

– Patrick Dorsey, publisher

Questa del Rio News

“The Questa del Rio News works to preserve the rich history, culture and heritage of northern New Mexico while providing relevant, informative and vital news to our communities. We are excited to be included in the Lab for Journalism Funding to advance our mission, learn philanthropic strategies and collaborate on best practices with mentors and other publishers.”

– Mikayla Ortega, editor

505OMATIC

“As a brand new organization, we are very excited to explore creative paths for funding for our newsroom and develop an exciting project, all while getting to know folks from other newsrooms in the community.”

– Warren Langford, producer