The Citizen Media Group works to preserve and expand journalism in New Mexico as a critical tool for democracy.
Our programs focus on teaching local government reporting through civics education, career mentorship and by developing civic engagement tools that connect residents to their government through journalism.
We have previously served as a fiscal sponsor for the nonprofit Compass NM news outlet. In 2024, we launched City Desk ABQ, a nonprofit daily digital outlet covering local news and community in Albuquerque, and acquired NM Political Report, a nonprofit news outlet covering state government.
Today both outlets operate as AP-style news services providing coverage of New Mexico politics and policy for newsrooms around the state.
We also provide stipends for journalists and community storytellers for professional development and local news story development, especially student journalists and rising journalists in the first two years of their career.
Citizen Media Group partners with local newsrooms across New Mexico to train and support journalists covering local news. For more information on journalist programs please contact Pat Davis, Publisher (pat@newmexico.news).
Our partner newsrooms
- The Santa Fe Reporter
- The Paper.
- Sandoval Signpost
- Corrales Comment
- The Independent News
- nm.news
Citizen Media Group has always been run by journalists for journalists.
CMG was founded in 2008 by longtime journalist Carolyn Carlson after her paper, the Estancia Valley Citizen, was sold to and closed by Albuquerque Publishing. Carolyn sought to build resources for media literacy and to support independent local news outlets looking to fill the gap left by closing newspapers.
In 2023, the original board of CMG transitioned the organization to a new board with a broader mission to establish and operate news outlets to fill news gaps.
Our Board
Hugo Pérez, Chair, Las Cruces.
Hugo Pérez is an associate professor of journalism at New Mexico State University.
Tierna Unruh-Enos, Albuquerque.
Tierna Unruh-Enos is a long-term New Mexico journalist having worked in media for KOAT TV, the Weekly Alibi and other publications. She is the managing editor of Ctrl+P Publishing including the Sandoval Signpost, Corrales Comment and The Independent News.
Muhamed Abdel-Hack, Albuquerque.
Muhamed has worked in the business side of media and emerging industries across the country. He has worked to build revenue in media for Economist magazine and Ctrl+P Publishing and has also worked in sales for Tesla and in the local solar industry.
More about us
- EIN: EIN 13-4302938; Granted 501(c)3 status in 2014
- Address: 119 Dartmouth St SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Support us
Contributions to CMG are tax-deductible for IRS purposes.
Our supporters.
As a nonprofit news service, we rely on sponsors and donors to support our work and we demand transparency from those we write about -and we apply the same standard to ourselves. Consistent with best practices in nonprofit news, we disclose the name of any sponsor or individual who provides more than $10,000 in support each year for programs supporting journalists and news reporting.
- Will Ferguson & Associates
- AVANGRID
- UNM Health
- New Mexico Independent Automobile Dealers
- Darren White
- Ctrl+P Publishing, Inc.
- News Revenue Hub
- Thornburg Foundation
- New Mexico Local News Fund
- Singleton Schreiber LLLP
Donors and supporters have no advanced insight or influence over stories we support. Thank you for supporting our general program work!