♪ MUSIC REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION.

TAOS, NM HELLO.

I AM LORENE MILLS AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA F. I'M DELIGHTED THAT OUR GUEST TODAY IS PATRICK MICHAEL DAVIS, ALSO KNOWN AS PAT DAVIS.

I HEAR THERE ARE A FEW OTHER PAT DAVIS AROUND.

YOU WERE THE FOUNDER OF SOMETHING CALLED NM.NEWS.

>>PAT: YES, MA'AM.

>>LORENE: AND, I'M DELIGHTED THAT YOU'RE HERE.

YOU'VE BEEN DOING SOME WORK I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF RETRIEVING AND PRESERVING LOCAL NEWS.

SO, TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE IN 9/11, TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

>>PAT: MY VERY FIRST GROWN-UP JOB.

BEFORE NEW MEXICO FOUNDING CAPTURED ME, I WAS BACK EAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

MY FIRST GROWN UP JOB, I WAS A CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER, I WAS A ROOKIE IN MY FIRST YEAR WHEN 9/11 HAPPENED.

STANDING OUTSIDE THE CAPITOL, MY MOM SAW US ON TV, AND SHE KNEW WE WERE OKAY, BECAUSE BACK THEN, CELL PHONES, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SO MANY PHONES AND NOBODY COULD GET THROUGH.

MY MOM SAID SHE KNEW WE WERE OKAY BECAUSE SHE SAW ME ON TV STANDING IN FRONT OF THE CAPITOL WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE WAS RUNNING OUT.

IT WAS A CRAZY EXPERIENCE, BUT I FELL IN LOVE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ENDED UP GOING TO WORK FOR THE METROPOLITAN POLICE IN DC AS A POLICE OFFICER FOR A FEW YEARS.

UNM FINALLY BROUGHT ME OUT TO NEW MEXICO, WHERE I WAS A LIEUTENANT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THEY SENT ME TO THE FBI ACADEMY AND ALMOST THE DAY I GRADUATED, I TRADED MY BADGE AND GUN IN WENT TO GO WORK ON PUBLIC POLICY WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S AROUND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, MOSTLY, BUT ALSO AS A PIO, AS A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE DA'S OFFICE IN ALBUQUERQUE.

>>LORENE: BUT WHAT A BLESSING THAT YOU HAD BOOTS ON THE GROUND EXPERIENCE INSTEAD OF THEORETICAL, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY.

YOU SAW WHAT YOU SAW AT ITS MOST DANGEROUS AT 9/11.

>>PAT: IT CERTAINLY, I TELL PEOPLE IT CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON HOW I SAW THE WORLD, BECAUSE I CAME FROM A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE PART OF THE COUNTRY IN GEORGIA.

I THINK YOU DESCRIBE PROBABLY MOST OF THE PEOPLE I HUNG AROUND WITH AS MORE REPUBLICAN THAN NOT EVEN BACK THEN.

BUT BEING ON THE GROUND, ESPECIALLY AS A POLICE OFFICER IN WASHINGTON, DC, IN SOME REALLY HARD NEIGHBORHOODS, I REALLY GOT TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, YOU START TO THINK ABOUT WHY ARE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THIS FOR GENERATIONS.

LIKE AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO BE PROSPEROUS, DON'T WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, AND YOU REALLY JUST SAW THE REDLINING AND ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER TIME.

AND I BECAME INCREDIBLY INTERESTED AND WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE QUOTAS, BUT EVERYBODY HAD QUOTAS FOR THE NUMBERS OF ARRESTS YOU DO FOR DRUGS AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

WE WERE ARRESTING THE SAME PEOPLE AND WEREN'T FIXING IT.

SO WHEN I CAME TO NEW MEXICO, PART OF IT WAS UNM HOW TO DEAL WITH NEW MEXICO STATE AND THEY PAID FOR MY EDUCATION, SO THEY PAID FOR MY MASTER'S WORK IN PUBLIC AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY BECAUSE I WANTED TO FIX THE POLICY PART.

SO AS SOON AS I GRADUATED, I TRADED IN MY BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO GO WORK ON PUBLIC POLICY AND THAT TRANSLATES TO POLITICS PRETTY QUICKLY BECAUSE I KIND OF THOUGHT THE SYSTEM WASN'T EQUAL, BUT IT'S A FASCINATING EXPERIENCE TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK IN THE FIELD THAT YOU THINK YOU WANT TO IMPACT.

AND YOU SEE A LOT OF CHILDCARE WORKERS BECOME SOCIAL WORKERS, BECOME LEGISLATORS AND THAT REASON THAT EDUCATORS BECOME LEGISLATORS TO WORK ON EDUCATION POLICY.

>>LORENE: YEAH, WELL, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

I LOVE THE DIFFERENCE YOU'RE MAKING AND BY EXTENSION, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

SO TALK TO ME ABOUT THE ROSWELL DAILY RECORD AND HOW YOU'VE KIND OF INTERVENED TO PRESERVE HISTORY, TO PRESERVE A COMMUNITY'S IDENTITY.

>>PAT: WELL, I WAS NOT PLANNING TO BE IN ROSWELL THIS TIME LAST WEEK.

I STARTED, ACTUALLY FOUNDED, MY FIRST NEWSPAPER NEWS JOB, BEFORE I BECAME A CITY COUNCILOR IN ALBUQUERQUE.

I STARTED NEW MEXICO POLITICAL REPORT .

>>LORENE: RIGHT.

>>PAT: BACK IN 2015 AND I TELL PEOPLE I HAD FOUNDED PROGRESSNOW NEW MEXICO.

WE WERE THE BIG PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATION FIGHTING SUSANA MARTINEZ HERE IN THE LEGISLATURE, BUT IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR IN 2015 THAT MOST OF THE NEWS OUTLETS IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO, SAID, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEND ANYBODY TO THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR, IT'S JUST TOO EXPENSIVE.

THINGS HAD STARTED TO BE CUT OUT OF NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO STATIONS AND FROM AN ORGANIZER PERSPECTIVE, THOSE WERE THE PEOPLE WE REALLY WANTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE IN WHAT WE DID AND WE WANTED TO HAVE AN IMPACT.

AND SO I HIRED A COUPLE OF REPORTERS FROM EXISTING NEWS OUTLETS AND SAID, WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A LEGITIMATE NEWSWIRE FOR EVERYBODY IN THE STATE.

AND ONE OF THE FIRST INTERVIEWS WE DID, ACTUALLY AS IT HAPPENS, WERE OF SOME ROSWELL LEGISLATORS ABOUT LEGISLATION THEY WANTED AND THE DAILY RECORD DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY TO COVER THEM AND OUR REPORTERS WENT TO INTERVIEW THEM ON BEHALF OF THE ROSWELL DAILY RECORD , BECAUSE THEY JUST WEREN'T COMING TO SANTA FE.

WHEN THE CONSERVATIVE ROSWELL TOWN PAPER HAS TO CALL THE LIBERALS AT PROGRESSNOW, THEY TRUSTED THE NEWS BECAUSE WE WERE USING NEWS PRINCIPLES AND WE REALIZED WE WERE FILLING A GAP AND PEOPLE WOULD RATHER HAVE SOME NEWS THAN PARTISAN NEWS.

THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT LESSON FOR ME WHEN I ENDED UP BEING, WHEN I WENT TO ALBUQUERQUE AS A CITY COUNCILOR DURING COVID, THE WEEKLY ALIBI WENT OUT OF BUSINESS UNEXPECTEDLY OVERNIGHT AND SO I STEPPED IN TO HELP REORGANIZE AND START THE PAPER, WHICH IS THE SUCCESSOR OF THAT.

THAT HAS JUST BECOME, A MISSION TO SAVE OTHER LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS, MOST RECENTLY LAST WEEK IN ROSWELL, WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THEY WERE CLOSING, WE STEPPED IN TO GIVE THEM A LIFELINE, AND WE'RE REBUILDING A BUSINESS PLAN TO MAKE THEM SUSTAINABLE AGAIN.

>>LORENE: TO ME IT'S A HEROIC ACT AND IT'S A GIFT TO THE STATE, A GIFT TO ROSWELL, BUT THE FACT THAT, AND ROSWELL, OF COURSE, IS INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN, BUT THE FACT THAT, YOU'RE RETURNING THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS, YOU'RE LETTING THEM BE HEARD AGAIN BY PRESERVING THIS.

I JUST THINK IT'S WONDERFUL AND TO THINK THERE'S A WHOLE ORGANIZATION THAT IS LOOKING FOR NEWS OUTLETS THAT ARE IN JEOPARDY AND CAN HAVE THEIR BACK.

>>PAT: WELL, AND I TELL PEOPLE, I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ROSWELL IS THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE, WE WERE ABLE TO SORT OF STEP IN AND DO THAT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE, I'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE.

FOLKS WHO FOLLOWED US KNOW THAT, WE STEPPED IN AND WE PURCHASED A GREAT PAPER, OUR SECOND PAPER WAS THE CORRALES COMMENT .

>>LORENE: BUT DIDN'T YOU ALSO HAVE THE SANTA FE REPORTER ?

>>PAT: A COUPLE OF SUMMERS AGO, WE STEPPED INTO THE SANTA FE REPORTER, A 50 YEAR OLD PAPER, IT'S A NEWS INSTITUTION IN NEW MEXICO AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.

BUT IT WAS IN TROUBLE, I MEAN, IT HAD IT HAD HAD A HARD TIME DURING COVID, AND NEEDED A RESET AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO STEP IN, BUT I THINK THE LESSONS WE LEARNED FROM THAT, WE ALMOST LOST ALL OF THOSE PAPERS WHEN DOGE HAPPENED.

THEY CAME IN BECAUSE THEY TOOK AWAY A LOT OF THE NONPROFIT REVENUE THAT WE RELY ON, THOSE NONPROFITS COUNT ON THEIR LOCAL PAPERS TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT FOOD DRIVES, ABOUT SCHOOL THINGS.

>>LORENE: THEY ACTUALLY ACCUSED LOCAL PAPERS OF BEING DEI.

>>PAT: YES, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, BEING WOKE.

>>LORENE: YEAH.

INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, 50 YEARS THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS, IT'S THE HEARTBEAT, IT'S THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY, IT'S LEGIT, IT'S REAL NEWS.

>>PAT: WELL, AND WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THE ROSWELL DEAL, MILAN SIMONICH AT THE NEW MEXICAN, THEY PUT ON THE FRONT PAGE ON MONDAY A WONDERFUL STORY.

MILAN TALKED ABOUT HOW THE ROSWELL DAILY RECORD BACK IN THE 60S HAD PROFILED A FEMALE GOLFER FROM, FROM ROSWELL, WHO, WITH THE HELP OF THE ACLU HERE IN NEW MEXICO, SUED THE ROSWELL SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ENFORCE TITLE IX, WHICH WAS A BRAND-NEW LAW BACK THEN.

THERE WERE NOT ANY WOMEN IN THOSE KIND OF SPORTS AND THEY HAD SAID, NO, NANCY LOPEZ, YOU CANNOT BE IN THE GOLF PROGRAM BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A WOMEN'S GOLF PROGRAM AND SHE SAID, WELL, YOU HAVE TO.

BUT THE ROSWELL DAILY RECORD ELEVATED THAT FROM A SCHOOL SPORTS STORY IN ROSWELL TO A STATEWIDE AND NATIONAL STORY AND SHE BECAME AN INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN FEMALE GOLFER OUT OF ROSWELL.

OBVIOUSLY, EVERYBODY KNOWS THE ALIEN STORIES, BUT I SAY LIKE THE REASON PEOPLE HAVE STEPPED UP TO HELP US IN ROSWELL AND WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WAYS PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY JUMPED IN IS BECAUSE FOR 2 OR 3 GENERATIONS NOW, GRANDMA HAS CLIPPED HER GRANDDAUGHTER'S GRADUATION PHOTO AND PUT IT ON THE FRIDGE AND IT ALWAYS SAYS ROSWELL DAILY RECORD .

IT'S WHERE YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL LINEUP ON THURSDAY NIGHT FOR THE FRIDAY GAME, IT'S WHERE A NEW BUSINESS FINDS NEW LOCAL PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ADVERTISE ON ALBUQUERQUE TV AND IF THERE'S NOT A LOCAL NEWSPAPER, THAT LOCAL BUSINESS IS NOT GOING TO FIND PEOPLE IN TOWN NOBODY KNOWS.

THOSE ARE THE PIECES THAT WE'RE PRESERVING AND YOU SEE IN PAPERS LIKE OURS THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE AN EDITORIAL PAGE, I DON'T THINK CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESSES SHOULD TELL PEOPLE HOW TO VOTE AND HOW TO THINK, BUT WE INVITE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE THEIR OPINION AND BE CRITICAL OF US IN THE NEWSROOM AND EACH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES HAS FOUND THAT TO BE INCREDIBLY VALUABLE WHEN YOU OPEN THAT UP.

WE'RE HOPING TO DO THAT IN ROSWELL.

IT'S STRUGGLED FOR A WHILE, AND I THINK WE CAN BRING SOME NEW LIFE.

>>LORENE: WELL, ALSO, YOU'RE DOING IT WITH INTEGRITY AND IN THE TRADITION OF REAL NEWS, YOU KNOW, BESIDES AFFLICTING THE COMFORTABLE AND COMFORTING THE AFFLICTED.

>>PAT: RIGHT.

>>LORENE: BUT THERE'S, IN THIS DAY, I REALLY WANT TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AI.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WHAT IS A THREAT AI HAS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF LOCAL NEWS?

>>PAT: WELL, LET ME TELL YOU AND GIVE A GREAT NEW MEXICO IS A GREAT EXAMPLE, RIGHT?

I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT LOCAL NEWS IS IN A CRISIS, WE'VE LOST, NEW MEXICO HAS LOST TWO THIRDS OF OUR JOURNALISM JOBS SINCE 2012, ACCORDING TO WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.

THERE ARE LESS THAN 100 PEOPLE RUNNING CAMERAS, DOING JOURNALIST WORK, LAYING OUT NEWSPAPERS, READING COPY ON YOUR RADIO STATION.

THERE USED TO BE MORE THAN 300, WE HAVE ABOUT 100 NOW IN NEW MEXICO.

IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE LESS NEWS.

IT JUST MEANS THAT WE HAVE FEWER PEOPLE COVERING IT AND PEOPLE CAN GET AWAY WITH MORE.

IT ALSO MEANS THAT THE BUSINESSES AND THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT NEED THAT INFORMATION ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE, BUT IN NEW MEXICO, A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITIES HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF THESE BIG INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL HEDGE FUNDS LIKE GANNETT COMING IN, BUYING UP THEIR LOCAL PAPERS, WHICH HAPPENED IN LAS CRUCES AND ALAMOGORDO AND RUIDOSO AND FARMINGTON AND THEY STARTED TO OUTSOURCE.

THEY TOOK THOSE NEW MEXICO SALARIES, THEY GAVE THEM TO SOMEBODY IN VIRGINIA OR CALIFORNIA WHO USED COMPUTERS TO WRITE ABOUT LOCAL NEWS, WHO WATCHED A VIDEO OF A MEETING ON YOUTUBE, WHICH IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING IN THE ROOM AND DOING THE INTERVIEW AND SO THOSE WERE THE EARLY DAYS OF THIS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND COMPUTER SUPPORTED JOURNALISM FROM AFAR.

NOW YOU CAN SEE THAT AI CAN WATCH A YOUTUBE MEETING OF A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, PRODUCE A STORY, GET THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WRONG OR NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT AND PEOPLE BELIEVE IT'S REAL.

SOMETIMES THAT'S HELPFUL, SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY GOOD TO GET THE BASICS OF WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WITHOUT SOMEBODY, A REPORTER ON THE GROUND WHO KNOWS WHEN THAT POLITICIAN IS LYING, WITHOUT SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS HOW TO READ A CITY BUDGET AND UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY'RE OVERSPENDING MORE MONEY THAN THEY DIDN'T HAVE.

MORIARTY WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

HADN'T HAD A NEWSPAPER IN YEARS, WE SENT A REPORTER BACK AFTER BUYING THE INDEPENDENT , AND A BRAND NEW INTERN REPORTER WAS ABLE TO CHRONICLE THE MISSPENDING THAT WAS BEING ELEVATED BY THE CITY CLERK AND OTHERS IN MORIARTY.

THE STATE AUDITOR ULTIMATELY STEPPED IN LAST SUMMER AFTER OUR REPORTING OVER A SERIES OF ALL THEIR MISMANAGEMENT AND THE MAYOR RESIGNED AND THE CITY CLERK HAD LEFT, SHE HAD BEEN A WHISTLEBLOWER AND WASN'T STAYING AND IT CHANGED MORIARTY GOVERNMENT FOR THE BETTER.

IT WAS AN OPEN SECRET IN MORIARTY, THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE A NEWSPAPER TO ELEVATE IT.

PEOPLE IN TOWN KIND OF WERE WHISPERING THAT THAT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, THEY'RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT, BUT IT TOOK A JOURNALIST TO PUT IT ON THE FRONT PAGE AND CALL THE STATE AUDITOR AND ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO REALLY GET ACTION.

I THINK THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY MISSING AND SO IT'S SCARY THAT PEOPLE ARE REPLACING LOCAL NEWS WITH AI BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REPLACE A PERSON IN THAT CITY COUNCIL MEETING OR AT THAT BUSINESS OPENING.

NEW MEXICO IS A RIPE TARGET FOR THAT FOR SOME OF THESE REALLY BIG COMPANIES, BECAUSE WE'RE A POOR STATE, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BROADBAND CONNECTION, THOUGH THAT'S BEING FIXED VERY FAST, WHICH IS HELPING LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.

SO THESE NEWSPAPERS, THESE MOM AND POPS, WHO FOR GENERATIONS HAVE BEEN THE PUBLISHER, THE WRITER, THE DELIVERY DRIVER, NOW THEY KIND OF A LOT OF THEM MISSED THE DIGITAL AGE BECAUSE PAPERS ARE STILL IMPORTANT AND DOING DIGITAL IS A WHOLE OTHER TYPE OF JOB SKILL.

SO THE PAPERS THAT WE'VE BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN HELPING TO SAVE ARE FOR LOCAL PUBLISHERS THAT HAVE PRESERVED A WONDERFUL BRAND AND A LOT OF COMMUNITY TRUST BUT HAD NEVER REALLY ENGAGED WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF READERS AND DIGITALLY WITH NEWSLETTERS.

WE CAN ADD AND BRING THAT AND THAT'S GOING TO DEFEND AGAINST AI, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE USING AI TO TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED IN ROSWELL.

IF THE ROSWELL DAILY RECORD ISN'T DOING IT, SOMEBODY IN CHINA IS USING THAT TECHNOLOGY TO CAPTURE THEIR EYEBALLS WITH FAKE NEWS.

>>LORENE: YEAH.

IT'S A WOMAN WHO OWNED THE ROSWELL DAILY RECORD , RIGHT?

>>PAT: THAT'S RIGHT.

BARBARA BECK, SHE'S A THIRD-GENERATION FAMILY OF THE BECKS.

>>LORENE: YES AND I'M SURE IT WAS GRIEVOUS AND VERY PAINFUL FOR HER TO REALIZE IT SHE COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE AND TO KNOW THAT THAT AN ORGANIZATION LIKE NM.NEWS COULD COME IN AND KEEP THE STANDARDS THAT THEY HAD WORKED FOR SO LONG AND PROVIDED A SAFETY NET FOR THEM.

>>PAT: AND THE JOBS, I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THESE ARE NEW MEXICANS, RIGHT, I TELL HE STORY.

ROSWELL, HAS HAD A LOT OF REALLY GREAT REPORTERS, BUT THEY HAVE ABOUT 20 STAFF, SOME PART TIME, SOME FULL TIME, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE FAMILY THAT'S RELATED.

ONE WOMAN WHO LAYS OUT THE PAPER, THE SALES DIRECTOR IS HER DAUGHTER, THEIR COUSIN IS THE GUY WHO HANDLES THE CLASSIFIEDS AND THEIR OTHER COUSIN DOES THE SPANISH TRANSLATION.

LIKE, THESE ARE FAMILY BUSINESSES WHO REALLY COUNT ON NOT JUST GETTING NEWS OUT, BUT THEY WORK THERE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

I GIVE BARBARA A LOT OF CREDIT, I SAY THIS OUT LOUD, AND THERE ARE A COUPLE REASONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS.

THE FIRST BEING THE BECK FAMILY AND EVERYBODY WHO WORKED AT THE ROSWELL DAILY RECORD HAS DONE ALL THE RIGHT THINGS TO TRY TO KEEP THIS PAPER ADAPTING TO THE NEXT CHALLENGE.

TARIFFS HAVE MADE PRINTING A LOT HARDER BECAUSE NEWSPRINT COMES FROM CANADA AND IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE, THE POST OFFICE RATES HAVE GONE UP, THEY HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE WE STARTED PRINTING OUR FIRST NEWSPAPER, WHICH MEANS THE COST TO SEND A PAPER TO SOMEBODY IS NOW DOUBLED, BUT OUR SUBSCRIPTION RATES HAVEN'T.

AND SO WE'RE SQUEEZING THOSE DOLLARS AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE ALL THE RIGHT THINGS.

BARBARA TOLD THE NEW MEXICAN OR THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL , THAT KEEPING THIS PAPER WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KEEPING HER FAMILY'S NAME ON IT AND I THINK THAT'S THE IMPORTANT, THAT'S WHAT A REAL FAMILY COMMUNITY PAPER OWNER UNDERSTANDS IS THEY'VE PUT THIS PAPER IN THE RIGHT PLACE FOR SOMEONE TO COME IN AND TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND WE WANT TO DO THAT FOR THAT COMMUNITY AND FOR THE REST OF NEW MEXICO.

>>LORENE: WE'RE SPEAKING TODAY WITH PATRICK MICHAEL DAVIS, PAT DAVIS FOR SHORT, WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF NM.NEWS AND I'M SURE FOR ALL THE OTHER LOCAL PAPERS THAT DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, HAD WIPING AWAY THE TEARS FROM THEIR EYES AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO TO KNOW THAT YOU WOULD DO IT AND HAVE INTEGRITY AND RESPECT THE COMMUNITY, JUST SO GRATEFUL TO YOU.

>>PAT: WELL, I WANT TO SAY IT'S NOT JUST, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS OFF AIR BEFORE WE STARTED, IT'S NOT JUST ME.

THIS HAS BECOME A PASSION PROJECT, ONE OF THE REASONS I DIDN'T RUN FOR ANOTHER TERM IN THE CITY COUNCIL WAS THAT THIS BUSINESS OF SAVING NEWSPAPERS, AND WE'RE NOT SAVING ALL OF THEM, SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AND WE'RE CONTINUING AND ALLOWING THEM TO GROW.

BUT CREATING JOURNALISM JOBS, THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BUT THE REASON THIS WORKS, RIGHT, IS BRINGING THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE OF A REALLY BIG NEWSPAPER LIKE THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL , WHO'S HAVING THEIR OWN CHALLENGES AT THEIR SCALE, OR A BIG NATIONAL NETWORK, WE'RE RECREATING THAT IN NEW MEXICO.

SO IN ROSWELL, THEY HAVE THREE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, THEY NEEDED THAT MANY WHEN THEY WERE PRINTING THREE DAYS A WEEK, THEY DON'T NEED THAT MANY BECAUSE THEY'RE PRINTING ONE TODAY, BUT I NEED SOME GRAPHIC DESIGNERS TO HELP US OUT IN SANTA FE AND ALBUQUERQUE, WHERE WE DO MORE PRINT AND SO I CAN HAVE A DESIGNER IN ROSWELL, NOW FOR THE INTERNET, PITCH IN AND HELP AND THAT PRESERVES A JOURNALISM JOB WITH BENEFITS AND A FAIR WAGE IN ROSWELL EVEN IF THAT TOWN CAN'T USE IT, I CAN PUT IT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND HAVING THAT NETWORK IS IMPORTANT.

I THINK THAT THE OTHER PIECE THAT I THINK THAT VIEWERS SHOULD REALLY KNOW, AND ESPECIALLY VIEWERS OF THIS SHOW SHOULD UNDERSTAND ABOUT POLITICS, IS THAT FOR A LONG TIME POLITICIANS, SAYS ME, HAVE BEEN ANXIOUS TO SAY, WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE PUBLIC SUPPORT OF JOURNALISM THAT THAT NEEDS TO HAVE A FIREWALL.

WELL, WE REALLY SAW THAT WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WENT AFTER PUBLIC MEDIA, NEW MEXICO'S LEGISLATORS AND THE GOVERNOR STEPPED UP WITH A FUND TO SUPPORT AND FILL THAT GAP, BUT FOR YEARS, THERE'S BEEN THIS IDEA IN SANTA FE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A TAX CREDIT FOR JOURNALISM, FOR NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO STATIONS, FOR PEOPLE DOING IT, BECAUSE THAT'S A PUBLIC SERVICE AND YOU WANT THAT NEWS OUT, NOT BEHIND A PAYWALL, BUT FOR EVERYBODY, EVEN IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

BUT THIS YEAR, DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE GALLUP INDEPENDENT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS SESSION AND IF YOU REMEMBER THAT ICONIC PAPER AND THEY JUST CLOSED ONE DAY AND IT REALLY CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF THE LEGISLATURE AND SAID, OKAY, THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, SO THEY PASSED A 30% JOURNALISM TAX CREDIT WITH HELP FROM ADVOCACY FROM NEWSPAPERS.

THAT TAX CREDIT WENT INTO EFFECT ON JULY 1ST, ON JULY 17TH, BARBARA ANNOUNCED THAT SHE COULDN'T MAKE A GO.

I WAS ABLE TO GET AN INVESTOR TO LOAN US A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY AGAINST THE FUTURE PAYROLL FOR ROSWELL, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET 30% OF THEIR MONEY BACK FROM THE STATE NEXT YEAR.

SO EVERY DOLLAR I CAN SPEND IN ROSWELL, I CAN PUT INTO ANOTHER JOB RAISING A WAGE AND THAT TYPE OF CHANGING THE BOTTOM LINE IN A REALLY SMALL INDUSTRY OR A TIGHT MARGIN INDUSTRY IS CHANGING AND SO WE HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO OUR LEGISLATORS AND THE PUBLIC DOLLARS, BECAUSE WE INVEST IN CONSTRUCTION JOBS AND WE GIVE AWAY TONS OF PUBLIC INCENTIVES FOR ALL KINDS OF BUSINESSES.

BUT JOURNALISM IS AN INSTITUTION IN DEMOCRACY, IT'S THE FOUNDATION OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND IT'S WORTH PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND NEW MEXICO NOW IS LEADING THE WAY AND SHOWING HOW WE CAN DO THAT AND I THINK OTHER STATES WOULD BE WELL TO FOLLOW THAT EXAMPLE, BECAUSE I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THAT PUBLIC INVESTMENT WAS A CRITICAL PIECE OF SAVING THE ROSWELL PAPER AND IF IT HAD BEEN HERE IN FEBRUARY, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE SAVED GALLUP, TOO.

>>LORENE: OH, MY.

ONE THING I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE WITHOUT MENTIONING YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE TO HELP AND WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO HELP.

>>PAT: YEAH, PUT THAT PITCH OUT THERE.

RIGHT?

ONE OF THE GREAT PIECES ABOUT WORKING WITH US AND THERE ARE SOME GROUPS, LIKE EL RITO MEDIA, THAT ARE DOING THIS, RIGHT, FOUNDED BY HARVEY YATES.

THEY HAVE AN OIL AND GAS BILLIONAIRE AS THE BOSS, I DON'T HAVE THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU HAVE THESE FORMAL POLITICIANS REALLY CARING ABOUT NEWS.

LIKE, I'M THE DEMOCRAT FROM ALBUQUERQUE, HARVEY'S THE REPUBLICAN FROM OIL PATCH, BUT WE SEE THE VALUE IN HAVING STRONG NEWS AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS WE'RE USING OUR NETWORKS, AND OUR ROLODEXES, 100% OF THE MONEY WE'VE USED TO SAVE OUR NEW MEXICO PAPERS HAS COME FROM NEW MEXICANS AND OUR GROUP.

THE SANTA FE REPORTER WAS SAVED BY PEOPLE WHO DONATED IN SANTA FE OR WERE ABLE TO HELP ME GET OVER A HUMP BY LENDING US A FEW DOLLARS AND WAITING TO PAY THAT BACK.

THAT'S THE INVESTMENT NEW MEXICANS ARE DOING, WE DO HAVE A NONPROFIT, IT'S CALLED NEW MEXICO REPORTS, NMREPORTS.ORG AND WE RAISE MONEY NATIONALLY AND IN NEW MEXICO FOR THAT AND WE USE THAT TO TRAIN NEW EARLY CAREER REPORTERS AND RETRAIN OLD REPORTERS WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN LAID OFF FROM ANOTHER NEWSROOM.

IN COVERING THE LEGISLATURE, COVERING A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THEY LEARNED HOW TO USE PUBLIC RECORDS, THEY LEARNED HOW TO READ A BUDGET AND AN AUDIT AND THEN WE USE THAT GRANT MONEY TO SUBSIDIZE AND PLACE THEM IN THE NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO STATIONS AROUND THE STATE.

NOW ROSWELL WILL JOIN THAT GROUP AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SURE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL REPORTER IN ROSWELL GETS A LITTLE GRANT TO BE SURE THAT THE PAPER CAN KEEP THE NEWS ABOUT CITY COUNCIL FREE AND THAT REPORTER HAS TRAINING, NOT JUST TO GO TO THE MEETING, BUT TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS.

>>LORENE: RIGHT AND TO KNOW AND TO READ A BUDGET AND KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO HIDE THINGS IN A BUDGET.

>>PAT: AND IT TAKES DONATIONS.

WE AT OUR PAPER, WE DON'T CHARGE, WE DON'T CHARGE FOR TO READ ANYTHING ONLINE TO BE SURE THAT NO ONE IS WITHOUT THE INFORMATION THEY NEED ABOUT HOW TO WEIGHT IN ON A PUBLIC MEETING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY.

SOME OF OUR NEWSPAPERS COST $200 OR $300 A YEAR NOW TO GET PAST THE PAYWALL AND THAT'S NOT HELPFUL TO ANYBODY EXCEPT THE PEOPLE WHO CAN ALREADY AFFORD TO HAVE POWER AND ACCESS, SO WE USE THOSE NONPROFIT DOLLARS.

BUT A LOT OF NEW MEXICANS HAVE STEPPED UP, WE PUT OUT AN EMAIL IN ROSWELL, AND ONE READER GAVE $1,000 TO THE NONPROFIT PROGRAM, JUST TO BE SURE THAT THAT REPORTER COVERING CITY COUNCIL HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO GET THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS WORK, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY HARD, A LOT OF THESE NEWSPAPERS HAVE A LOT OF DEBT THAT THEY'VE TAKEN ON TO GET TO THE NEXT PAYROLL, AND THEY GET TO THE NEXT ADVERTISING CYCLE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS WORK, AND WE MAKE IT WORK AT SCALE.

>>LORENE: SO THE WHOLE MEDIA, DELIVERY SYSTEM IS SUCH THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ONLY READ THE PAPER ON THE INTERNET AND YOU REALIZE SO MUCH NEWSPAPERS HAVE RELIED ON ADVERTISING REVENUE FOR YEARS, SO HOW IS THAT AFFECTING YOUR, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ADS WHEN THEY'RE WATCHING ONLINE.

I MEAN, WHAT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE REVENUE?

>>PAT: I WILL SAY WE'RE NOT, WE ARE PROFITABLE BY DOLLARS NOT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, UNTIL WE GOT TO THIS PLACE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO INVEST THE MONEY IN ROSWELL.

AND YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S NEXT, BUT, THERE'S AN OLD SAYING IN NEWSPAPERS THAT THERE ARE PRINT DOLLARS AND DIGITAL DIMES, AND THAT MEANS THAT BUYING THE AD.

I TELL PEOPLE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHY YOU BUY A SUBSCRIPTION, BECAUSE IF WE PUT A 20 PAGE PAPER TOGETHER, THAT WILL COST US SOMEWHERE AROUND $7000 OR $8000 TO PUT TOGETHER TO PAY THAT JOURNALIST A FAIR WAGE, TO GET IT DELIVERED, TO GET IT PRINTED AND LAID OUT.

SO THAT LITTLE QUARTER PAGE AD THAT YOU SEE ON PAGE SIX, IT HAS TO MAKE ABOUT $440 OR $500 TO MAKE THAT WHOLE PAGE WORTH A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS TO PAY THE PRINT BILL AND THE NEXT PAGE OF ADS PAYS THE JOURNALIST AND THE NEXT PAGE OF ADS PAY DELIVERY GUY AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO USE IT.

DIGITALLY, YOU GET FRACTIONS OF A PENNY FROM GOOGLE, WITHOUT SPONSORSHIP.

OUR MODEL IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO CAPTURE SUBSCRIBERS AND SELL THEM TO ADVERTISERS, WE'RE CAPTURING VIEWS BY GIVING THE NEWS AWAY FOR FREE.

WE WANT TO SHOW IMPACT AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MORE THAN THREE MILLION WEBSITE VIEWS IN SANTA FE ALONE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE.

THAT BECOMES AN AUDIENCE THAT A LOCAL BUSINESS WANTS TO ADVERTISE TO.

WE CAN SELL THAT AD TO GOOGLE FOR A PENNY, OR WE CAN MAYBE SELL IT TO A COFFEE SHOP FOR $5 OR $10, BECAUSE THE AUDIENCE IS LOCAL, THE BUSINESS IS LOCAL, AND THEY'RE MAKING A RELATIONSHIP DIGITALLY.

SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE BUILD A BIG LOCAL AUDIENCE AND THAT WE GIVE THAT TO LOCAL BUSINESSES AT A COST LESS THAN IT COST THEM TO ADVERTISE ON FACEBOOK AND THAT'S THE KEY.

WE'VE GOT TO KEEP THESE LOCAL, THAT JUST MEANS YOU HAVE TO READ A LOT OF PAGES ONLINE AND WE'VE GOT TO SELL A LOT OF SMALLER ADS.

THAT'S REALLY HARD FOR A NEWSPAPER THAT'S BEEN USED TO SELLING THOUSAND DOLLAR PRINT ADS FOR A LONG TIME FOR CAR DEALERSHIPS BECAUSE THOSE GUYS AREN'T COMING BACK.

SO FOR US, IT'S THE ECONOMY OF SCALE.

IT'S GETTING A STATEWIDE ADVERTISER, LIKE A HEALTH CARE COMPANY OR A HOSPITAL OR THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO TO DO ADVERTISING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

IT'S TOO HARD FOR THEM TO CALL NINE DIFFERENT NEWSPAPERS AND BUY ONE LITTLE AD, IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR THEM TO CALL US, LET US DO THE HARD WORK.

SO WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE BIG AD DOLLARS FROM A BIG STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN, BREAK THEM UP, AND TRICKLE THEM DOWN INTO SMALL COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD NEVER HAVE THAT MONEY AND WE'RE BRINGING BONUS REVENUE BY BEING BIGGER ON THE BACKSIDE AND KEEPING IT LOCAL ON THE FRONT.

>>LORENE: AND ALSO, THERE ARE YOUR OWN REPORTERS FROM THE PAPER WHO SEE WHAT THAT HOSPITAL IS TRYING TO DO OR WHAT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND THEN THAT BECOMES SOMETHING THEY WANT TO DO A STORY ABOUT TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT EVEN MORE, PARTICULARLY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.

MY LAST INTERVIEW WAS WITH A GENTLEMEN ON HARM REDUCTION.

THERE'S SO MUCH HARM REDUCTION THAT'S NEEDED AND GOSH, WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME.

I'M SO HAPPY YOU CAME HERE.

>>PAT: THANK YOU.

>>LORENE: YOU'VE GOT A MINUTE TO GIVE A PITCH TO OUR AUDIENCE TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO AND HOW THEY CAN HELP.

>>PAT: I DO, THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

EVEN IF YOU THINK YOUR COMMUNITY HASN'T LOST YOUR PAPER, IT'S LOST THE ACCESS AND THE INFORMATION THAT A BIGGER NEWSROOM USED TO HAVE AND SO YOU MAY NOT FEEL IT IN SANTA FE AS MUCH, BECAUSE THE SANTA FE REPORTER IS GREAT, BUT OTHER PARTS OF NEW MEXICO REALLY NEED THIS.

THE NEW MEXICO LOCAL NEWS FUND IS HELPING TO FUND THIS.

WE'RE WORKING TO INVEST IN THESE, WE WANT PEOPLE TO GO VISIT NM.NEWS AND IT'S LIKE NEW MEXICO DOT NEWS, INSTEAD OF .COM.

LEARN ABOUT HOW ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS ARE INVESTING IN LOCAL JOURNALIST AND HOW YOU CAN HELP, INCLUDING BY DONATING IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS, IF YOU HAVE A CORPORATION WITH A GIVING PROGRAM, YOU CAN BE A SPONSOR OF LOCAL NEWS, YOU CAN HELP SPONSOR LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE IN THE ROSWELL DAILY RECORD , OR YOU CAN SPONSOR POLITICAL COVERAGE OF THE LEGISLATURE SO THAT WE CAN PUT JOURNALISTS ON THE GROUND TO ASK THOSE TOUGH QUESTIONS.

NEW MEXICANS HAVE HELPED US SAVE THESE PAPERS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO NEED THEM TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

>>LORENE: EXCELLENT, THANK YOU.

OUR GUEST TODAY IS PATRICK MICHAEL DAVIS, AKA PAT DAVIS, WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF NM.NEWS, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

RETRIEVING AND PRESERVING HISTORY AND HELPING COMMUNITIES GO FORTH WITH INTEGRITY AND GETTING THE WORD OUT.

I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

>>PAT: THANKS FOR HIGHLIGHTING THIS.

>>LORENE: THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.

AND I'M LORENE MILLS, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, OUR AUDIENCE, FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

REMEMBER, READ YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER, FOLLOW YOUR LOCAL NEWS.

THANK YOU, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.

A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM ♪ MUSIC