Journalism under fire

“How does technology shape the truth?”

That’s the animating question of the Santa Fe Council on International Relations’ second annual Journalism Under Fire conference to be held in Santa Fe on Nov. 14-15. 

Dozens of participants, including leading journalists, scholars and former government officials from across the the globe, will explore that question and the intersection between social media and fake news; the ways in which artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing the public domain; how China’s use of technology will have massive ramifications for the U.S.; and how digital forensics have opened up a new line of investigation, using crowd-sourced video and Big Data to reconstruct truth. New Mexico In Depth is proud to be a conference sponsor and to participate in the conversation (Executive Director Trip Jennings will be on one of the panels.)

For tickets and more information, go to www.sfcir.org/journalism-under-fire. Join the conversation.

A free press is not the enemy of the people

The role of the press has been contentious from the very early days of our democracy. The men who authored the foundational documents of the United States enshrined a free press in the first amendment to the Constitution. For just as long, it’s been a time-honored tradition for elected officials to lambast media reports as false, wrong-headed, not accurate…and in recent years, “fake.”

More than likely, the press has also been called the “enemy of the people” before the current era. But it’s doubtful there has been such a wholesale onslaught on the public’s confidence in the press as that conducted by the current occupant of the White House. Do we sometimes get it wrong?

NMID wins big in regional journalism contest

New Mexico In Depth notched two wins competing against the largest newspapers, radio and TV stations in the four-state region of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. The awards, part of the annual Society of Professional Journalists’ Top of the Rockies contest, were announced last week at the Denver Press Club.  

NMID’s Deputy Director Marjorie Childress won first place in the political enterprise reporting category for newspapers whose circulation tops 75,000 and large-market radio and TV stations. Her September 2017 story Realtors and developers give big money to ABQ mayoral candidates took the prize. Using data analysis, Childress examined campaign finance data and then did additional reporting to conclude the real estate and land development sector had given roughly $1 of every $4 raised in the Albuquerque mayoral race as election day neared.

Sandra Fish wins FOG Dixon Award

We’re so proud of the work our friend and former colleague Sandra Fish did for New Mexico In Depth, including the Openness Project, a special website at opennessproject.com that made it easier for New Mexico voters to follow the money in elections. She was honored for that work by another great organization that works for government transparency here, the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government.

NMID wins top honors in regional journalism contest, including 1st place multi-media award

New Mexico In Depth took top honors at a regional journalism contest over the weekend, including a 1st place multi-media journalism award for its examination of New Mexico’s broken bail system. The Society for Professional Journalists’ Top of the Rockies contest covers New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.  

We also won a 1st place award for general website excellence and three 3rd place awards for investigative/enterprise reporting and environmental general reporting. 1st Place in Multi-Media Journalism

Teaming up with Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting last fall, New Mexico In Depth told the story of one man’s journey through New Mexico’s bail system. Tom Chudzinski, a former architect, spent more than 30 days in the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center because he didn’t have enough money to afford bail.

Media bias?

In one of the most contested presidential election in recent times, the national media has been under fire too.

NMID wins journalistic awards

New Mexico In Depth won 1st place in overall excellence for an organization at the 2015 New Mexico Press Women Communications Awards Contest. The overall honor came after NMID collected awards in several categories, including 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and honorable mention in Enterprise Reporting.