Debra Mayeux, a reporter at Farmington’s Tri-City Record, was one of five New Mexicans to win a 2024 William S. Dixon First Amendment Award.
“The honor recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of … (those) who champion transparency and defend the people’s right to know the affairs of government,” according to a news release from the group who gives out the awards, the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government.
The foundation started issuing Dixon Awards about 20 years ago to honor people who work to make government transparent and accessible to the public, said Melanie Majors, the foundation’s executive director.
When the news came out the afternoon of Aug. 29, Mayeux was teaching a high school class.
“I just kept saying, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh,’” she said.
Mayeux said she felt honored to have her work recognized, and that the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government thought she was worthy of such recognition.
“I know, personally, how hard she has worked. And I know that some of the things she’s tackled hasn’t been easy,” said Majors. “She would call for clarification because she wanted to make sure she was doing the right thing … (and) make sure she was interpreting the law correctly.”
“She definitely is a hardworking, committed journalist.”
In the early 2000s, Mayeux was recognized by The Associated Press for her work in investigative journalism. For the duration of her reporting career, she has focused on holding government entities and public officials accountable.
Sometimes they forget they work for us, she said.
“Her fearless pursuit of government records has been necessary to bring important news and information to our readers,” said John Blais, Tri-City Record publisher and CEO of Ballantine Communications Inc.
There are countless examples of her work using public records to help confirm information public agencies have tried to keep hidden, Majors said, quoting the nomination letter submitted by Trent Stephens, senior editor of the Tri-City Record, The Journal in Cortez and The Durango Herald.
“Her stories have helped add context to complicated issues and she uses storytelling to add to the public discourse about important community issues.”
For instance, a school in Farmington tried to cover up a possible school shooting because it involved a staff member’s child. Mayeux pushed back and retrieved those records.
Around that same time, the school denied her information about a substitute teacher who was arrested on charges of criminal sexual contact with a minor.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office denied her the name of a child who died in Bloomfield after a farming accident and used an excuse not allowable under law to keep the name from her.
“We got involved and sent out a letter,” Majors said.
Eventually, they released the requested record to Mayeux.
Amanda Lavin, an attorney at NMFOG, said she worked with Mayeux to get juvenile records. Several agents around the state were using the Children’s Code to bar disclosure of those records.
“She was one of the journalists who had brought that issue to our attention as it was happening in Farmington,” said Lavin. “It was something that was kind of just cropping up over the state. It’s always really helpful when people bring the issues to our attention. Otherwise, we don’t know it’s happening.”
Lavin said NMFOG appreciates when Mayeux or other journalists reach out and aren’t afraid to push back when agencies deny records.
“She definitely embodies those sort of watchdog qualities because not everyone is going to push back when they get a denial in response to a request for records,” Lavin said.
Mayeux’s watchdog qualities were echoed in Stephens’ nomination.
“I applaud Debra’s efforts to go to all lengths necessary … without her willingness to fight for government transparency, I feel a dangerous precedent would have been set,” Stephens said.
Mayeux said she’s lived in Farmington for most of her life and that fervently pursuing the truth is rooted in great care and concern for her community – it’s not an attack on public officials, like they sometimes think.
“She doesn’t take the comments from the officials at face value. She questions everything and teaches others to question everything. She reminds us that there’s more to every story and that we have the right to learn more,” Stephens said.
Mayeux and four other Dixon recipients will be formally awarded and recognized at a luncheon on Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Albuquerque at the Sandia Golf Event Center. Individual tickets are $60.
“To be honest, that luncheon is our (NMFOG) biggest fundraiser of the year. That’s how we earn the money to keep the lights on and keep doing the work we do.”
The other 2024 Dixon Award recipients are:
- Katherine Korte in the Citizen Category.
- John Kreienkamp in the Government Category.
- Nathan Small in the Government Category.
- Brittany Costello in the Media Category.
The Tri-City Record was founded in May 2023 by Ballantine Communications Inc. Ballantine acquired the Farmington Daily Times a year later and merged into the Tri-City Record.
