has done what a community newspaper is supposed to do: report the news fully and fairly, celebrate our neighbors, shine light into dark corners, and preserve our shared history. We’ve asked hard questions when it mattered, we’ve stood up for the public’s right to know, and we’ve put in the long hours to get it right. Our readers have responded in kind. We print 2,500 copies each week and reach more than 30,000 readers online every month—more people than live in Cibola County. That trust is the heartbeat of this work.
But trust alone can’t keep the lights on.
Like many local newspapers, we’re facing a tough advertising market. Despite strong readership, ad dollars have declined. That’s why, beginning with our Sept. 24 edition, we reduced the print paper from 16 pages to 12. It’s a measured step to protect our operations while we fight to keep essential coverage in print and online. We’re not cutting our standards— only our page count.
We’re proud of what this newsroom has delivered: serious, consistent reporting on local government and public safety, historical profiles that preserve our community’s memory, coverage of schools and sports that centers our kids, and explanatory pieces that make complicated issues—water, fire, infrastructure—clear and useful. That work has been recognized this year with state and national peerjudged honors, including the 2025 Dixon Award (Media Category) from the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government and awards from the New Mexico Press Association in education writing, feature writing, best magazine, best special section, the Sunshine Award, and recognition for General Excellence. Awards aren’t why we do this—but they do affirm that what we produce here, for Cibola County, meets a high bar.
Here’s the reality: journalism is a public service with a private business model. We don’t bill you like a utility, and we can’t levy taxes. We rely on – critically, most importantly – on advertising from local businesses and nonprofits.
When ads shrink, pages shrink. And if pages shrink too far, the community’s information supply shrinks with them.
If you’re a business owner, manager, or organization leader, we’re asking you—plainly—to advertise with us. A newspaper ad is not charity; it’s a purchase that puts your message directly in front of the county’s most dedicated audience, in print and online, alongside the reporting people count on each week. Whether you’re promoting a job opening, a service, a sale, an event, or a public notice, your ad works—and it sustains the watchdog reporting that helps keep this community honest, informed, and connected.
If you’re a reader, you can help in three simple ways: keep reading; tell local businesses you saw them in the Cibola Citizen (it matters more than you know); and encourage the businesses you love to place an ad. Share our stories online, send us news tips and letters to the editor, and let us know what information you need. Your voice shapes our coverage.
We are tightening our belt, but we are not lowering our standards. You will continue to see accountability reporting, school and sports coverage, features that reflect the best of our people, and clear reporting on issues that directly affect Cibola County—from prescribed fire and drought to roads and economic development. We will keep showing up at meetings, filing records requests, and putting names to decisions. That’s our promise to you.
Local news doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because a community decides it should exist—and supports it. If you’re ready to partner with us—through advertising, legal notices, classifieds, obituaries, or digital placements—reach out. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ll help you find the right size and schedule for your budget and goals.
We are grateful for every reader, every source who takes our calls, every coach who sends a score, every family who trusts us with a life story, and every business that invests in this work.
The Cibola Citizen belongs to Cibola County. Together, let’s keep it strong.