TNT adds community-funded reporter to cover indigenous communities. Here’s how to help
The News Tribune, along with sister papers in Olympia, Bellingham and Tri-Cities, is adding a reporter to cover indigenous communities in Washington state.
Natasha Brennan starts June 1. Her coverage will focus on tribes in the state of Washington, their impact in our local communities, environment, politics and more.
Natasha said she became inspired to specialize in writing about Native American culture and issues as a child visiting her father’s family on the Cahuilla Reservation in southern California.
This is the second community-funded, full-time position in Tacoma, as The News Tribune added Abbie Shull last spring to cover our military communities.
Natasha and Abbie are added to our staff in partnership with Report for America, which is placing about 300 journalists in more than 200 newsrooms this year and simultaneously working with those newsrooms to develop their philanthropy efforts. RFA pays a portion of the reporters’ salaries; local newsrooms cover the rest.
That’s where we need your help. Through community fundraising, we need to raise money to support these two positions. So we’re launching our spring fundraiser at TheNewsTribune.com/donate. Donations are tax-deductible through Journalism Funding Partners.
Your donations directly support these two positions in an effort to expand journalism resources in our area.
Natasha comes to the state after graduating with her master’s degree from the University of Southern California, Annenberg. She’s written stories for PBS Native Report and Indian Country Today. You can follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/natasha_marie_b. She’s a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Native American Journalists Association.
“I am very excited to join the McClatchy family at The News Tribune in partnership with The Olympian, The Bellingham Herald and The Tri-City Herald,” Natasha said.
“To cover Washington’s vibrant Indigenous community is an incredibly important task I’m honored to be chosen for. I’m ready to get to know Washington’s tribes and Indigenous people, and help the state of Washington get to know them better, too.”
While there are thousands of examples of why this coverage is important to our community, former senator Rick Santorum’s viral comments this week highlight the growing need for our communities to better understand our Native American communities.
If you can, please support these reporting positions through our spring donation campaign as we look to add more journalism resources at The News Tribune to better serve our community.
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
