John Graham’s newspaper career began with a delivery route of 100 subscribers. Decades later, the third-generation newspaperman is owner and publisher of the Lovington Leader, a small paper in eastern New Mexico, and the Denver City Press, across the border in West Texas. For his work upgrading presses and keeping community-oriented papers going, Graham, president of the Lea County Electric Cooperative board of trustees, was inducted into the New Mexico Press Association Hall of Fame in 2017.
On September 4, National Newspaper Carrier Day, consider the role of small-town presses in Texas. Graham believes people should actively participate in their communities and that newspapers reflect the communities they serve. He applies this philosophy to his management of the Leader and to his life.
