2nd Life Media / Southwestern Trails Cultural Heritage Association 2025 Comprehensive Annual Transparency Report

Per our commitment to transparency and in compliance with the board resolution directive Editorial & Ethical Standards of June 1, 2024 we issue the following:

2025 Year in Review Transparency and Accountability Report.

Publication Date: December 12, 2025

Published by the Editorial Board of Southwestern Trails Cultural Heritage Association

A Commitment to Transparency and Accountability

The Southwestern Trails Cultural Heritage Association (STCHA), a 501(c)(4) social-welfare nonprofit, proudly publishes this 2025 Annual Transparency Report as part of our ongoing pledge to openness, ethical journalism, and community service.

Established as our Editorial & Ethical Standards directive of June 1, 2024, this report details our operations, growth, and strict separation of entities—ensuring complete editorial independence while delivering record-breaking audience reach across written, video, and audio platforms.

We adhere to the highest standards set by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers, and the Online News Association (ONA).

This report emphasizes accountability: how we grew, how we remained independent, and how we served the Tularosa Basin with fact-based, community-centered coverage.

Clear Separation of Business Entities

To safeguard journalistic integrity, we maintain a strict firewall between content creation and supporting functions:

Southwestern Trails Cultural Heritage Association (STCHA) — the 501(c)(4) nonprofit — is solely and exclusively responsible for all editorial content, programming, and advocacy. This includes every article, broadcast, video, podcast, and editorial decision across the47thVoice.com, NewMexicoConservativeNews.com, Block12.org, YouTube channels, and KALHradio.com.

STCHA engages in unlimited issue advocacy focused on civic betterment, with candidate-related speech kept well below the IRS limit of 49.5%. The nonprofit board leans moderate and includes members reflecting interests across the political spectrum—Republican, Democratic, Independent, and Libertarian—ensuring balanced political opinions are expressed and ensureing balanced governance.

2nd Life Media Inc. — a separate New Mexico for-profit corporation — owns the brands, domains, and trademarks. It licenses these to STCHA and rents Studio Q (1209 New York Avenue, Alamogordo) under standard commercial agreements. 2nd Life Media Inc. has zero involvement in content creation, editing, publication, or editorial direction. Ownership is held by a variety of shareholders, to include the Sepulveda Family Trust.

This structure guarantees that no for-profit interests influence what our audience reads, watches, or hears.

Financial Transparency and Independence

No advertiser, sponsor, donor, corporate entity, or political party exerted influence over coverage. Underwriting is clearly labeled and never exchanged for favorable treatment.

In 2025, no single donor contributed more than $5,000—well below IRS substantial-contributor thresholds—ensuring no concentrated external influence

Primary expenses supported operations: studio rentals and brand licensing (paid to 2nd Life Media Inc.), insurance and legal services, technology and hosting, consultancy, salary for Independent Editorial Director Anthony Lucero, and marketing.

Leadership and Staff Expertise

Our leadership reflects deep journalistic and community experience:

• Rene Sepulveda, Publisher & Chairman of the Board, brings decades of NCAA Coaching, Artisan and cultural heritage leadership.  As an award winning NCAA Big 12 Coach he was awarded United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team Designation five years in a row. In addition to athletics excellence academics was a priority to his coaching success. 

• Chris Edwards, Editor-in-Chief & Journalist. Entrepreneur, community historic preservation, political strategist, and arts advocate, he is an award-winning author, historian and reporter with extensive experience in local investigative and community storytelling. He was named by New Mexico Influence Magazine as one of the 25 most influential voices in New Mexico. 

• Anthony Lucero, Independent Editorial Director & Program Manager, oversees programming and streaming operations with expertise in digital media and audience engagement. Recognized as the 2022 New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau Media Person of the Year and is a daily contributor to the USA Network.

Additional board members include John Edwards, Steven Edwards, Charlie Edwards, Ashley Edwards, and Robert Sepulveda, Fred Sepulveda providing governance rooted in family and community ties.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

STCHA is proud to operate with one of the most diverse leadership teams in southern New Mexico media. The board leadership is composed of a majority Hispanic and LGBTQ members, reflecting the rich cultural fabric of the Tularosa Basin.

Our contributor staff—spanning independent writers, broadcasters, and community voices—is the most culturally, economically, and  educationally diverse in the region, ensuring a wide range of perspectives in our coverage and programming.

AI Usage Policy

We recognize the evolving role of artificial intelligence in competitive media. When AI tools are used for research, or idea generation, any AI-generated references or contributions are clearly identified at the article level with appropriate disclosure. All content published on our platforms—written, video, or audio—is reviewed and approved by a human editor or producer before release, (thus the occasional spelling and grammatical errors versus sterile AI generated content..) This human oversight ensures accuracy, local relevance and connection, context, fairness, and alignment with our editorial standards.

Specific Examples of Transparency in Action

Throughout 2025, we demonstrated commitment to fairness in challenging stories:

• In coverage of local school board ethics issues, investigative reports, parties were contacted in advance, responses were included when provided, and follow-up clarifications were promptly published when requested. 

• Guest Community Contributors wrote advocacy series of local interest that pushed state and local governments into action.

• Public safety and crime-related reporting consistently featured voices from law enforcement, community advocates, and affected families, providing balanced context even on sensitive topics.

These practices reinforce trust, expand representation and ensure accountability in our watchdog role.

Audience Feedback Mechanisms

We actively encourage community input. Readers, listeners, and viewers can provide feedback through:

• Direct comments on articles and videos.

• Email to ChrisEdwards@KALHradio.org for formal complaints or suggestions.

• Social media channels and KALHradio.com contact forms.

• Open invitations for community-submitted stories and guest contributions.

• Monthly in-person community forums and salons allow for face to face interactions on community topics. 

All formal ethics complaints are reviewed by the Editorial Board within seven days.

Record-Breaking Growth Across All Platforms

2025 marked a year of unprecedented expansion, with consolidated daily audience reach climbing to 26,000–31,221 unique individuals—a 52% increase over 2024. This growth reflects deeper community trust and the power of integrated written, video, and audio storytelling.

Audience analytics further highlight our expanding influence beyond southern New Mexico: 14% of readers and listeners came from outside the immediate region, with heavy concentrations in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and El Paso. An additional 4% originated overseas, largely tied to ongoing military connections and relocations. This broader reach underscores the enduring ties many former residents maintain with Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range.

Our content is distributed across major social platforms to maximize community access, with the strongest engagement on Facebook, YouTube, Substack, and X (formerly Twitter). Additional presence on Threads, Nextdoor, LinkedIn, Getr and emerging platforms such as Bluesky and Mastodon helps extend reach to specific audiences, including younger residents and professional networks. Combined social referral traffic and shares contributed significantly to the 14% out-of-region and 4% overseas audience, particularly among military families and former residents staying connected to Holloman AFB and White Sands Missile Range.

• Written Content (multiple websites): Daily readership averaged 26,000–31,221 unique visitors, with peak months (October–November) exceeding 30,000 daily. Over 3,500 articles were published, representing steady 20–25% year-over-year growth.

• Podcast via YouTube & Spotify Channels (all platforms combined): Daily downloads averaged 7,671, with engagement (likes, comments, shares) at an average of 628 per day. This delivered an impressive 57% year-over-year increase in both listeners and engagement, fueled by recurring local series and community hashtags to promote branding. The on-demand podcast archive expanded to 1,900 episodes since June 2023, covering news, faith reflections, interviews, and specialty programming.

• Streaming KRAZY KALHradio.com Radio: Daily streams and sessions ranged from 2,500–3,500,  unique daily listeners and monthly uniques averaging 8,000–12,000. Listenership grew 50–60% over 2024 and 78% over prior 2023  terrestrial listenership further justifying the switch from LP broadcast to digital based streaming. 

Seasonal trends showed consistent upward momentum: readership, views, and listenership started the year around 16,000–17,000 combined daily audience in January, built steadily through spring and summer tourism seasons, and peaked at over 42,942 daily in November maximized during election coverage before the expected slight seasonal dip in December trending back to norms of around 30,000 daily engagements. The strongest months—October and November—were driven by real time civic and election updates, MainStreet events and state conference, live election forums, live stream special reports of local ribbon cuttings, new business openings, public safety, and community event coverage.

Content Focus: Celebration and Accountability

Approximately 55% of all content  in 2025 celebrated local achievements—businesses, arts, tourism, education, athletics, new business, infrastructure developments, mainstreet upgrades and community pride under banners like #AlamogordoProud and #ExclusivelyAlamogordo. Another 22% provided watchdog reporting and special investigations on government transparency, schools, public safety, nonprofit governance, politicans and insider trading spotlighted and questioned —always with fairness and opportunity for response balanced with links to sources and where to find additional information.

In recognition of our community’s deep military heritage, approximately 15% of coverage was dedicated to military and veterans affairs, including updates on Holloman Air Force Base activities, White Sands Missile Range operations (such as scheduled Highway 70 closures), veteran profiles, Veterans Hero's Welcome Events, VFW event highlights and support programs. This focused commitment honors the service members, families, and veterans who form a vital part of the Tularosa Basin identity and contributes to our strong out-of-region and overseas audience.

The remaining 8% of content was driven by community content, obituaries and community calendar related updates and or community informational press releases.

Editorial Standards Upheld

• Accuracy and Corrections: Only eight minor corrections were issued all year (representing less than 0.2% of published content), each transparently noted at the bottom of the article and permanently archived.

• Retractions: 4 full retractions were required in 2025.

• Fairness: Subjects of critical stories were contacted for comment in over 85% of cases.

• Transparency: Sources were named except in rare protected cases; high-impact stories are preserved via Internet Archive and Perma.cc.

• Formal Complaints: Twelve formal ethics reviews were conducted. Of these, 33% (four complaints) resulted in published clarifications or addendums, while 67% (eight complaints) were deemed unfounded after review.

Editorially, STCHA issued 4 full retractions in 2025 (each recommended by the Independent Editorial Director, debated, and approved by split vote of the Editorial Board) alongside 8 minor corrections, representing approximately 0.34% of total published content (≈3,500 written articles plus 1,900 podcast episodes and daily radio segments). This combined error-and-retraction rate remains well below the INN sector average of 0.8–1.2% for comparable local outlets and demonstrates rigorous self-correction when warranted

In-Kind Contributions: Valuing Free Advertising and Community Spotlight for Local Nonprofits

In alignment with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for nonprofits and best practices from the National Council of Nonprofits, this section quantifies the in-kind support provided through free advertising, promotional announcements, community media spotlight, standing hyperlinks, and rotating broadcast ads to key Alamogordo-area organizations. These contributions—delivered via local news site AlamogordoTownNews.org (with permanent standing links on primary pages), online articles, and daily rotating public service announcements (PSAs) broadcast year-round on KALHRadio.org—amplify nonprofit visibility, drive engagement, and foster community support without cash expenditure.

The five largest recipients receive year-round standing hyperlinks prominently featured on the primary news site (AlamogordoTownNews.org) for direct access to their missions or events, plus daily rotating ads/PSAs on KALHRadio.org streaming platform. This ongoing exposure provides consistent promotion beyond event-specific coverage.

In-kind valuations use the Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) methodology, estimating fair market value (FMV) of coverage as equivalent paid advertising.  Editorial multiplier (3x) applied for earned media credibility. Total estimated in-kind value for 2025: $55,000 (including year-round elements and event-specific support).

Largest Recipients of In-Kind Support (2025 Summary)

The following organizations represent the top beneficiaries, ranked by estimated valuation (combining year-round standing links/daily broadcasts with event-specific spotlight):

• Alamogordo MainStreet (~$12,800): Year-round standing link and daily PSAs, including highlights of Small Business Saturday, Christmas events, and downtown revitalization projects

• Otero Arts (~$10,500): Year-round standing link on AlamogordoTownNews.org, Block12.org, and daily rotating PSAs on KALHRadio.org, plus coverage of exhibitions, workshops, and events like Veteran Arts Showcase and Jazz Nights.

• Flickinger Center for Performing Arts (~$9,000): Year-round linkage via sites to include Block12.org, 47thVoice.org and  AlamogordoTownNews.org  and and daily broadcasts, supplemented by promotions for seasonal series, Mariachi Christmas, and Miss New Mexico events.

• Tularosa Basin Historical Society (~$8,200): Year-round standing links and daily rotating ads, with features on museum exhibits, Pioneer publications, pottery classes, and historic preservation efforts (e.g., displays on Tularosa Basin heritage from prehistoric to modern eras)..

• VFW Posts (e.g., Post 7686) (~$2,500): Year-round standing link and daily broadcasts, covering veteran services, Memorial Day events, teen programs, and community outreach.

Additional Ongoing Community Support

Beyond the top recipients, several other nonprofits and faith-based initiatives benefit from structured year-round programming:

• Kitty City NM and Animal Village NM: Each receives a standing weekly broadcast segment on KALHRadio.org, focusing on animal rescue, adoption updates, pet food bank needs, and community education—driving adoptions and volunteer support for no-kill shelters in the region, these two plus an additional group of nonprofits to include Community Power New Mexico, Love Inc and others received earned media credibility valued at over $12,000 in 2025.

• Faith Community Spotlights: Multiple local pastors and churches feature in regular inspirational segments. The most popular is Pastor JL (Johnnie) Walker’s “Introspection” series, with short reflections (e.g., “The Gift of Good Advice”) streamed on KALHRadio.org and available as podcasts/YouTube—garnering thousands of weekly downloads and views, blending spiritual guidance with practical life lessons.

Demonstrated Impact: Beyond the Dollar Value

This sustained in-kind support reaches thousands weekly via KALHRadio.org streaming (70s/80s/90s variety format with local news integration) and AlamogordoTownNews.org readership, generating impressions that boost event attendance, volunteer recruitment, donations, and community cohesion. Examples include heightened awareness for historic preservation and the Dudley School (Tularosa Basin Historical Society), cultural events (Otero Arts/Flickinger), economic revitalization (MainStreet), veteran services (VFW), animal welfare (Kitty City/Animal Village), and faith-based inspiration (Pastor Walker series). These efforts align with studies showing transparent in-kind reporting enhances nonprofit contributions by 20–30%.

By providing consistent platforms, we’ve delivered an estimated $55,000 in equivalent value while strengthening Alamogordo’s nonprofit ecosystem. Future reports will refine analytics for even greater precision.

Third-Party Benchmark Analysis (2025)

An independent third-party benchmark analysis, utilizing the 2025 Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) Index and the Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers Sustainability Audit Report as objective standards, ranks the Southwestern Trails Cultural Heritage Association (STCHA) at 4.2 out of 5 overall—firmly in the upper tier of small, hyper-local nonprofit news organizations nationwide. STCHA significantly outperforms the INN median engagement growth rate of 14% with its 52% year-over-year audience increase to 26,000–31,000 daily unique users and peaks exceeding 42,000 during civic coverage periods. Its strict donor-concentration policy (no single contributor exceeding $5,000) and innovative quantification of $55,000 in annual in-kind community support align with and frequently exceed LION-recommended diversified revenue practices.

Editorially, STCHA issued 4 full retractions in 2025 (each recommended by the Independent Editorial Director, debated, and approved by split vote of the Editorial Board) alongside 8 minor corrections, representing approximately 0.34% of total published content (≈3,500 written articles plus 1,900 podcast episodes and daily radio segments). This combined error-and-retraction rate remains well below the INN sector average of 0.8–1.2% for comparable local outlets and demonstrates rigorous self-correction when warranted. STCHA’s 85% subject-contact rate in investigative pieces continues to exceed the journalistic-impact benchmarks reported by 75% of INN members, while its mandatory human oversight and per-article AI disclosure policy meet or exceed standards now adopted by 63% of surveyed nonprofit newsrooms. Board and leadership diversity, with a majority Hispanic and LGBTQ composition, outperforms the INN sector average of 40–50% diverse teams.

While STCHA already demonstrates rural-market leadership in multi-platform growth (57% podcast increase, 50–60% streaming growth) and community engagement, the addition of an external financial review or audit and pursuit of a GuideStar/Candid Platinum or Charity Navigator 4-star seal would bring it into full alignment with the highest transparency tiers—practices shown to increase donor contributions by 20–30% according to Independent Sector’s 2025 trust research. These steps remain planned priorities for the 2026/2027 reporting cycles.

This independent benchmarking, confirms that STCHA not only meets but, in multiple critical areas, sets the standard for sustainable, ethical, and community-centered independent journalism in small and rural markets.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The record growth and engagement of 2025 affirm that our multi-platform approach—meeting audiences where they are—is the right path forward. A prime example is our recent in-person mayoral “changing of the guard” forum: though lightly attended in person, the recorded event has now surpassed 3,000 downloads and views across our platforms, demonstrating the power of on-demand access to political discussions. With one community platform event scheduled each month in 2026, we are excited to build on this success as another vital leg of growth, fostering even deeper true community connection and dialogue.

Building on these achievements, we remain steadfast in our mission to showcase the exceptional spirit of Alamogordo and the Tularosa Basin while holding power accountable with integrity.

We invite feedback at

ChrisEdwards@KALHradio.org

Signed,

Rene Sepulveda

Publisher & Chairman of the Board

Chris Edwards

Editor-in-Chief & Journalist

Anthony Lucero

Independent Editorial Director & Program Manager

Editorial Board

Southwestern Trails Cultural Heritage Association

Studio Q, 1209 New York Avenue, Alamogordo, NM 88310

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