The Independent newspaper in Gallup, New Mexico folds after 62 years
by Diane Joy Schmidt
We mourn the loss of one of the truly great family-owned newspapers in New Mexico, The Independent, of Gallup, New Mexico. On Saturday January 31st, 2026 their front page headline read "The Truth Well Told: The Independent halts publication after 62 years." The Santa Fe New Mexican ran the story as 'Shutting it down': Gallup newspaper will publish final edition Saturday.
Publisher Bob Zollinger said that rising costs of printing press materials and production, tariffs, a sustained decline in subscriptions and advertising revenue, and the disruption of the Covid pandemic finally forced the closure. Circulation had been in gradual decline over the last 20 years with the advent of the internet.
A companion piece on the front page that reflected on the paper's challenges and many years of service to Gallup was written by Vida Volkert, a veteran reporter there for at least 15 years. She interviewed Christina Tsosie, managing editor since 2021 when she was nominated by the staff to move into that position from county government reporter, who spoke to the important role of the paper.
Tsosie said that "coverage on local elections, McKinley County Schools District and the local crime scene are some of the most significant contributions the newspaper provided to the community."
Reflecting on the continued importance of the profession of journalism, Tsosie added, “...this profession demands a strong commitment to truth and fairness. But it's worth it, if our stories can provide exposure, help a cause, shed light on a struggle or triumph, or maybe allow someone to see things differently, then I feel we have done our job. I am going to miss the newsroom and the daily deadlines that seemed to never end. ... I still can't believe the paper is folding. What a loss.”
The coda at the end of Volkert's piece lands especially hard. "As deadline hit, Eddy Armendariz, press foreman, who has been with the Gallup Independent for 24 years and has printed more than 25,000 copies of one paper at one time, rang the buzzer in the press room one last time. This last edition, he printed 4,964 papers."
oOo
Addendum: Beginning in 2008, this writer, who in years past wrote the Photo columnist for the Chicago Tribune's Friday section, contributed regularly for over 15 years to the Gallup Independent's rotating "Spiritual Perspectives" column from a Jewish perspective. This was a regular Sunday column on their Religion page featuring voices from different faiths in the community, edited by Religion editor Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola for more than two decades until her retirement in 2022. My columns, which also later would appear in the NM Jewish Link, received first place awards from the American Jewish Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies, and NM Press Women. Writing for them allowed me to find my voice. I am most proud of an investigative story I did on a con man who, posing as a Native, fleeced many in Old Town, and who swiftly left the state on the eve of its publication.
I regularly read the uranium coverage by Kathy Helms, stories from Sherry Robinson reporting from Albuquerque and the Roundhouse, columns by Anna Redsand, and the lively editorials and letters to the editor. The loss of The Independent is deeply felt, and it is a serious blow to the greater community.
Community Supporters of the NM Jewish Journal include:
Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico
Congregation Albert
Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque
The Institute for Tolerance Studies
Jewish Federation of El Paso and Las Cruces
Temple Beth Shalom
Congregation B'nai Israel
Shabbat with Friends: Recapturing Together the Joy of Shabbat
New Mexico Jewish Historical Society
Where the North Ends, A Novel by Hugo Moreno
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