Puente News Collaborative is a bilingual nonprofit news organization, convener, and funder committed to preserving local news as a public good by investing in newsrooms, supporting journalists, and filling critical gaps in reporting across the U.S.-Mexico border.
The collapse of local news
Number of news outlets along the U.S. - Mexico border
Number of news outlets along the U.S. - Mexico border
What Is Happening
Across the U.S., more than 3,200 local newspapers have shut down. Of the 25 counties along the U.S.-Mexico border, nearly half have only one or no newsroom at all.
Why It Matters
With the collapse of local news, communities see a concerning decrease in voter participation, civic engagement, and government accountability reporting, and corresponding increases in community polarization, government waste, and disinformation campaigns.
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Stories from the collaborative
Trump Administration Unveils Anti-Corruption Campaign Targeting Mexican Officials with Alleged Cartel Ties
KTEP | April 27, 2026
Steve Fisher
LOS MOCHIS, Mexico – The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, traveled to northwest Sinaloa state last week for what seemed a routine ceremony: The groundbreaking for a factory near the city of Los Mochis. But his comments are a part of a broader, and more provocative agenda, said sources familiar with the bilateral relationship. Read more
The Hard Way Home
Palabra NAHJ | April 23, 2026
Jorge Melchor
For five years, Ana Melba and her husband, Jairo Antonio Acosta, blended hope and determination into the masa they wrapped with green banana leaves and steamed into tamales they sold in suburban Elizabeth, New Jersey. Read more
How Sonic Ranch became a Creative Haven in the Competitive Music Business
KTEP | April 22, 2026
Alyda Muela
TORNILLO - Sonic Ranch is a working farm on 1,700 acres in this small town hugging the Rio Grande and Texas-Mexico border some 40 miles east of El Paso. There’s open desert on all four sides, broken up by rows and rows of pecan orchards. Sonic Ranch’s true commodity is the prized music that has emerged from its quiet, no-pressure recording studios. Read more
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In the news
Puente News Executive Editor Alfredo Corchado receives the 2026 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence
In the news
Puente News Executive Editor Alfredo Corchado receives the 2026 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence
"Alfredo Corchado, executive editor of the Puente News Collaborative, has been chosen to receive the 2026 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence in recognition of his work directing Puente’s innovative, partnership-driven approach to reporting along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border."