Peter Wells, communications officer for the city, wrote in an e-mail to The SCORE, “I have not included you on my media distribution list as I view your Web site to be an online blog and not an established or recognized media outlet.”
That decision was upheld by city manager Jim Payne, who informed The SCORE of the decision in a two-minute meeting on Thursday.
The SCORE is on the media distribution list of several outlets, including Gov. Bill Richardson’s office, the New Mexico Environment Department, Sandoval County and the Rio Rancho Public Schools.
The SCORE has been accredited by the U.S. Secret Service to cover the campaigns of presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, and has received media credentials to cover such events as New Mexico Scorpions hockey, University of New Mexico men’s basketball and the New Mexico Bowl post-season college football game.
The SCORE also has a direct link from New Mexico Magazine’s website, which describes it this way:
“The brainchild of longtime New Mexico journalist Eric Maddy, THE SCORE is New Mexico's first totally on-line community newspaper, serving Rio Rancho and greater Sandoval County.”
Click here to protest the city’s decision not to add The SCORE to the city’s media distribution list.
For the text of prepared remarks made by the publisher of The SCORE to the Governing Body on Feb. 13, click here.
