Please say hello to The News Tribune’s new Tacoma city government and schools reporter
Hello, Tacoma: My name is Simone Carter and I’m the new city and education reporter at The News Tribune. It’s nice to meet you.
I moved to Tacoma in March to start my exciting new role covering local government and Tacoma Public Schools. I may be a newcomer, but this city already feels like home.
A little about myself: I was born and raised in Denton, Texas, a college town roughly 45 minutes north of Dallas. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of North Texas and previously worked on staff at the Dallas Observer, a regional alt-weekly, and Newsweek.
I often tell people that I sort of fell backward into journalism. I grew up acting in the Dallas area and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film when I was 18. One of my (many) day jobs was working at a record store, where I wrote album reviews. From there I began freelance music writing, which led me to pursue an education in journalism.
My hodgepodge beat at the Observer included critical coverage of in-fighting at Dallas City Hall and political squabbles in the Texas Legislature. I also investigated trends in education (both at the public-school and collegiate levels) and the arts. I was hired at Newsweek to help shape the U.S. culture department, interviewing actors and musicians, and later transitioned to report on national news — mostly politics.
I’ve won the Barbara Jordan Media Award from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Committee on People with Disabilities (2021, written/print) and the Media Ally Award from the Texas Equal Access Fund (2024). In graduate school, I took home the Top Student Paper Award for my investigation of the gendered harassment of female music journalists (Commission on the Status of Women, 2022 AEJMC Conference).
At The News Tribune, I aim to hold the powerful to account and to help readers understand how local policy decisions will affect their day-to-day — from issues about public safety to housing to climate change. I also enjoy highlighting the work of local movers and shakers striving to make a difference. Put simply, I love storytelling.
Got a tip? Please don’t hesitate to reach out: scarter@thenewstribune.com or @simcarttweets on X.
I look forward to hearing from you.
