When I accepted the Staff Writer role at the Gallup Independent, I knew the subject matter would challenge me in part because of my concerns with history, sociology and trauma. I planned to stay two years and I stayed exactly two years, trying to illuminate some of the social issues underpinning the violent crime, which occurred at about 10x the national average.
I covered crime on the Navajo Nation, the Pueblo of Zuni, northwest New Mexico and northwest Arizona for two years — and experienced a version of life as a minority. As a white journalist, I did not enjoy the same rights to probable cause statements on the reservation, but I developed sources of all kinds and I'm proud of the public service reporting that emerged from my crime beat.
I covered crime on the Navajo Nation, the Pueblo of Zuni, northwest New Mexico and northwest Arizona for two years — and experienced a version of life as a minority. As a white journalist, I did not enjoy the same rights to probable cause statements on the reservation, but I developed sources of all kinds and I'm proud of the public service reporting that emerged from my crime beat.