Spotlight: Mountain View Telegraph

In a region of roughly 45,000 people loosely scattered across 2,000 square miles of central New Mexico, it’s fair to say, covering local news can be challenging. While the East Mountain/Estancia Valley region is influenced by Albuquerque and Santa Fe whose news dominates the airwaves and major state newspapers., we in small town New Mexico know there is more to our story . We are fortunate to have not one, but two, locally-based newspapers covering our region. The Edgewood Chamber of Commerce is proud to have both the Mountain View Telegraph and The Independent as long-time, active members.

This member spotlight focuses on the Mountain View Telegraph, whose roots stem from two separate newspapers, when in late 2003, the East Mountain Telegraph (Tijeras) and the Mountain View Journal (Moriarty) merged under the ownership of Number Nine Media (a subsidiary of Journal Publishing which publishes Albuquerque Journal).

Today, Mountain View Telegraph is based in Moriarty and covers the entire East Mountain/Estancia Valley region. It is published every Thursday, and maintains an average audited circulation of 3,414 per week. One benefit of its connection with Albuquerque Journal is the ability of local staff to draw on the resources of the Journal, such as with graphic support for advertising.

The Telegraph is a member of several professional organizations, including the New Mexico Press Association. The paper has received awards from that organization for its local coverage, including in 2015, when the MVT Staff was awarded Best News Coverage among small, weekly newspapers in the state, and received top honors in Sports Coverage and weekly Column.

The Telegraph also puts out two magazine-style publications each year:  EXPLORE which covers things to do in our region, and Cowboy Country, a joint effort with other Number Nine Media publications that promotes the Western heritage of our state. Additionally, the Telegraph runs special features to focus on holidays, seasonal sports calendars, and the upcoming graduation features for local high schools.