InMaricopa reporter invited to ASU writing panel

An InMaricopa reporter spoke with university students about the roles and responsibilities she faces as an Indigenous journalist. 

Monica D. Spencer was joined by two other female Navajo journalists — Shondiin Silversmith with The Arizona Mirror and Noel Lyn Smith with Inside Climate News. 

The three seasoned journalists attended the panel at Arizona State University’s main campus in Tempe, where they spoke with 18 students in the “Writing Indigenous Water Stories” class.  

The class is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey and trains students to write op-eds they “can then publish into a venue of their choice,” said assistant professor with the ASU School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, Jerome Clark. 

Spencer, Silversmith and Smith shared their “perspectives on our roles and responsibilities as Indigenous reporters, such as how journalism affects underrepresented communities,” Spencer said. 

“I hope they were able to gain some insight in the role reporters play in their communities, especially for Indigenous communities.,” Spencer said. “Numbers wise, we’re a small part of the population, but our voices and perspectives are still relevant.”