ABSTRACT
In television, local stations are concerned with Areas of Dominant Influence (ADI), also known as Designated Market Area (DMA). For Albuquerque, the DMA includes at least the entire state of New Mexico. There are smaller stations in Roswell and Farmington, but several of the stations in those cities are satellites of stations of Albuquerque. The physical geography not only has affected coverage decisions, but also the very way in which news workers frame stories. Reporters in Albuquerque were reluctant to visit or learn about activities taking place in Native American Pueblos. Geography then, whether physical or socially constructed, may offer barriers to access, reinforcing the idea that most news represents the mainstream perspective. The physical, geographic, and financial limitations take a toll on coverage. One reporter noted that such isolationism creeps into more than just coverage decisions, but also the way in which reporters and producers report and write the news.
