Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — Bob Zollinger and his father John are saying good-bye to a family member. The two ran the Gallup Independent newspaper for the last 62 years. The publication, serving a town of 20,000 on the border of the Navajo Nation, published its final issue Saturday. According to an article in the last issue, factors that contributed to the paper’s closure include the rise of social media, the COVID-19 pandemic, tariff impacts on newsprint and a sharp decrease in advertising. Zollinger added another possible reason was the rising cost of silver, a key commodity in a town that runs on Native American jewelry, which has stalled the local economy. The papers departure leaves the area with only a weekly newspaper, the Gallup Sun, and a monthly human interest magazine, along with local radio stations.
