Recipients of the Dixon Award announced by the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government revealed
The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Dixon First Amendment Freedom Awards, set to be held on October 2 at the Sandia Casino Golf Event's Center.
Kathi Bearden, the retired publisher of the Hobbs News-Sun and a former president of NMFOG, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Bearden served more than 20 years at the helm of the Hobbs News-Sun, making significant contributions to the journalistic landscape of New Mexico.
The Lang family, who have owned and published the Albuquerque Journal for the last 99 years, will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Their commitment to upholding the principles of open government and freedom of the press has been instrumental in shaping the state's media landscape.
Milan Simonich, a columnist for Santa Fe New Mexican, will be honoured for his work in highlighting free speech issues. His reporting on incidents of politicians forcing reporters out of public meetings and settlements paid by the New Mexico Department of Justice for violating open records laws has been particularly noteworthy.
Simonich's work also includes covering a case where a student group was charged $10,000 to host a controversial speaker, a clear violation of free speech rights.
Diego Lopez, editor of Cibola Citizen, will be recognised for his series of articles about the Cibola County Commission and their nomination process for a state representative in December 2024.
Katherine Garcia-Gallegos, records custodian and Inspection of Public Records Act manager, city of Santa Fe, will be honoured for her initiative in establishing the city's Records Department. This move put traffic reports online, significantly reducing the volumes of requests and easing the workload for the department.
The event will be a fundraising luncheon, with proceeds benefiting the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG). A silent auction will also be held.
It is worth noting that the nominee for a political seat was recently rejected by the governor after confirmation from the New Mexico Department of Justice that he did not live in the district, as required.
For more details about the awards ceremony and event, please visit the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government's website (nmfog.org).
Rep. Sarah Silva also introduced bills aimed at protecting journalists and increasing transparency in lobbying efforts, but both measures stalled or were vetoed. Silva introduced a bill protecting journalists from being forced to reveal confidential sources, but the measure stalled in committee. Another bill requiring lobbyists to disclose the legislation they were paid to influence and who funded those efforts was vetoed by the governor.
The Journal and NMFOG have joined forces on numerous lawsuits against public entities that illegally withheld public records, demonstrating their commitment to upholding the principles of open government and freedom of the press.
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