Former Albuquerque city councilor to launch digital news outlet focused on ABQ
Jan. 8—A news outlet launching this week in Albuquerque aims to breathe new life into coverage of the city from housing to local government and crime.
The outlet, which launches Tuesday, is founded by former Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis and former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White. Davis, who also owns four newspapers in central New Mexico including the weekly The Paper., says the new outlet City Desk ABQ will launch as a digital only, daily newspaper. The digital newspaper will have a website and will send out a daily afternoon email of the paper to its subscribers. The content of the new outlet will be free.
"We agree about almost nothing in politics," says Davis. "And so, when I got ready to get out of office, and we were talking about this, we said, 'Look, somebody's got to really kind of recreate the Metro section of the newspaper. Who can do that?' ...We don't necessarily agree on what to do about the facts, but we at least agree that there are facts."
City Desk ABQ will follow the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics, Davis said, and the outlet has partnered with Citizen Media Group to remain a nonprofit outlet. Davis says he and White will not be in charge of the editorial decisions of the newsroom, leaving that instead to the roughly half dozen journalists who will work there.
And he said the digital newspaper has begun raising money to keep the business afloat — about $500,000 a year is needed annually to keep the lights on.
The outlet will have a reporter focused on economy and business coverage, another reporter dedicated to city hall and mayoral coverage, a reporter for Bernalillo County coverage, a reporter for public education, as well as an investigative reporter and crime reporter.
"We think Albuquerque needs some news competition. We think the government needs some better accountability," Davis said. "There's just too much news in the city post-COVID."
Davis isn't new to launching or buying news outlets in the state. He acquired the Corrales Comment, the Sandoval Signpost and the Edgewood Independent in 2022 with his publishing company CTRL+P. And in 2020, he founded The Paper., a weekly that has since replaced coverage from The Weekly Alibi. He is also the founder of the New Mexico Political Report, an online news outlet that covers state government.
Gwyneth Doland, a professor of practice in journalism at the University of New Mexico, said the news ecosystem in the city and the state has grown much smaller over the years. But she says not all news outlets are competing for the same audience and that the addition of City Desk ABQ to local coverage is a positive.
"(It) was not that long ago Albuquerque had two daily newspapers in addition to two thriving alternative weekly papers, and all the television stations. This news environment has been healthier in the past." she said. "I think there are a lot of creative people committed to doing journalism that supports our communities, our democracy, our culture and business communities."
White says they'll take a digital approach as they try to break into the Albuquerque news ecosystem.
"The news industry, as we all know, is changing drastically. And how people get their news is changing drastically," said White, who is serving in an advisory role for the new outlet. "And I think that this digital era (is) providing opportunities for other options."
