ICT’s collaborative reporting project focusing on the impact of COVID-19 in Indigenous communities will receive the 2022 Richard LaCourse Award for Investigative Journalism.
The collective is a project of the Native American Journalists Association in which ICT, High Country News, National Native News and Searchlight New Mexico collaborated to investigate and report the impact of COVID-19 in Indigenous communities.
“This award is an example of how journalism is headed in a new direction: newsroom collaboration,” said ICT Editor Jourdan Bennett-Begaye. “We all have the same goal of watching out for Indigenous nations and peoples.”
The 2021 investigative report documented the difficulties of finding accurate COVID-19 data in Indian Country such as tracking cases, vaccinations and deaths through the Indian Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state-operated systems.
“The award recognizes groundbreaking work by journalists that creatively use digital tools in the role of community watchdog,” stated a NAJA press release. “Special consideration is given to journalism that helps a community understand and address important issues.”
The report was produced in partnership with MuckRock with the support of JSK-Big Local News.
Five other contributors will also be awarded which NAJA President Francine Compton wanted to include as well “to showcase how well collaborations work.”
Bennett-Begaye, Diné, took part in the Indigenous Investigative Collective and created Indian Country’s COVID-19 database in 2020 to track cases, deaths, and vaccines. Johns Hopkins and ICT partnered on this database to make it more comprehensive and to share with the world.
(Related: Broken system can’t keep track of Native deaths)
“We’re so honored for this recognition. Ahéhee’, NAJA,” Bennett-Begaye said. “I’m so thankful for all those involved in this story and collective because it’s needed and we have a great opportunity here to learn from one another and share resources.”
Karen Michel, president and CEO of IndiJ Public Media, said the company is proud of Jourdan and the other recipients.
“It’s important to delve deep into the issues that affect our Indigenous communities. If we don’t report on them, they will go uncovered,” she said.
It was also announced Cheryl McKenzie won the 2022 NAJA-Medill Milestone Achievement Award and the Navajo Times won the 2022 Elias Boudinot Free Press Award.
The recipients along with Indigenous Investigative Collective will be awarded at the National Native Media Awards Banquet on Aug. 27 in Phoenix.
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