Rural Arizona is losing local news: Here’s what Hualapai youth are doing – AZ Family

Rural Arizona is losing local news: Here’s what Hualapai youth are doing  AZ Family

As rural newsrooms disappear, Hualapai youth in Peach Springs are stepping up to tell the stories their community cannot afford to lose. PEACH SPRINGS, AZ (AZFamily) — The Hualapai Tribe held an event Friday to encourage the next generation of journalists as local newsrooms continue to disappear across the country, particularly in rural areas. According to the Local News Initiative, nearly 40% of all local newspapers in the United States have vanished over the last few decades, leaving millions of Americans with limited or no access to a reliable source of local news. The loss of news outlets has reduced local representation in smaller towns and rural communities. According to the American Society of News Editors, less than 1% of journalists are Indigenous.

Over the last year, Walapai Media, which runs a tribal communication program on a local radio station in Peach Springs, built the Radio Youth Club to inspire students from elementary through high school to get involved in journalism. The program teaches students the basics of journalism, including how to think critically. Students have had the opportunity to participate in Phoenix Suns and Golden Knights press conferences. Rachael De Ford, Walapai Media outreach coordinator, said the program has already produced results. “Any small community needs it,” De Ford said. “It gives them a sense of independence and confidence