On Friday, November 15, I had the honor of representing the Questa del Rio News as a panelist at the New Mexico Local News Symposium in Santa Fe.
Other panelists included Brian Stelter of CNN, Jessica Garate of KRQE News 13, Trip Jennings of New Mexico In Depth, and Jarel LePan Hill of the Thornberg Foundation.
In northern Taos County, our small towns are filled with people who deserve meaningful journalism. Our people deserve equity, opportunity, and access. So often, we have been disenfranchised in mainstream media coverage because we’re “too far” or “not relevant enough.”
As editor of the Questa del Rio News, it’s a priority of mine to work with staff and volunteers to guarantee we’re covering stories, making sure the people are seen and heard, while preserving our history—making a resounding impact.
Growing up in Questa, I didn’t have the same access and equity as others, which required me to work harder to simply be on the same playing field as my colleagues.
It was such a full circle moment as I sat on the stage in front of nearly every major media outlet in New Mexico to talk about the great work we’re doing in northern Taos County.
Many publications and news outlets from across the state were impressed and supportive of the work we do day-in and day-out by providing helpful, relevant, and important news for our community.
Now I am turning to you, our readers, and asking for your support for our publication for our annual December fundraiser. Our publication’s overall operating budget on an annual basis is $150,000. This includes what it costs to pay our part-time staff of six to publish a 32-page paper. The cost includes postage, supplies, and our printing and delivery fees from Santa Fe.
The holidays are tough, and I acknowledge that. We are all feeling the squeeze as we near Christmas. Fortunately, we received a matching grant from the New Mexico Local News Fund. This means every donation made in December will be doubled!
Whether you’re able to give $5, $20 or $100—please know we are incredibly grateful for your support, because your impact will be doubled!
Checks can be mailed to PO Box 1072, Questa, NM 87556. If you wish to donate online, our Venmo account username is @QuestaNews1. Or scan the QR code to locate our account.
Thank you so much for your consideration to support our publication. We look forward to continuing to serve our local community in 2025.
Mikayla Ortega
Editor, Questa del Rio News
