Conservative media network behind mystery paper in New Mexico mailboxes

An unsolicited newspaper that began hitting area mailboxes just before the midterm election has residents asking questions about the purpose and publisher of a product that carries a partisan punch despite claims to the contrary.

The New Mexico Sun began circulating in Santa Fe a little before Election Day on Nov. 8, addressed by name to residents who say they have no idea where the paper originated.

A thread on an Albuquerque Reddit forum this week had users asking, “It this a legit newspaper?”

Among this week’s headlines was a story accusing Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller of creating a “system of cronyism” over unclassified employees, an opinion piece claiming Democrats unjustly weaponized the Jan. 6 insurrection and a pre-election opinion piece by Bernalillo’s County’s Judy Young, who ran for District 5 commissioner and who ultimately lost to opponent Eric Olivas.

On its accompanying website, newmexicosun.com, the paper is said to be owned by Bradley Cameron of Pipeline Advisors LLC of Austin, Texas. But on closer inspection, the paper’s managing partner is listed as Brian Timpone.

Timpone of Chicago, heads Local Government and Information Services and Metric Media, national network chains boasting more than 1,200 papers and their accompanying websites, according to the LGIS website. The companies have come under the scrutiny of traditional news agencies in recent years and labeled by critics as “pink slime journalism,” a reference to meat byproduct injected into hamburger and sold to consumers as the real deal.

Media Bias Fact Check has added over 600 of the Metric Media websites to its database since 2020 and continues each week to add more until we have all 1200 done. What others call “pink slime” MBFC has labeled as “imposter websites,” meaning they are designed to deceive the reader into believing it is a legitimate local news source. Usually, imposter sites such as Metric Media on the right and the American Independent on the left promote political propaganda and often prop up candidates they favor. The sole purpose is to deceive.

Santa Fe New Mexican Review Rating

Metric Media