Arizona-Made Queer News Outlet Expands Its Reach: LOOKOUT’s Model for Community-Driven Journalism Heads Beyond State Lines
At a time when the LGBTQ+ community is losing vital visibility and protections across the country, an Arizona-born media organization is stepping up — and stepping out.
Jake Hylton and Joseph Jaafari of LOOKOUT News
Founded in 2022, LOOKOUT has quickly become a trusted source of political, cultural and community-centered reporting for queer Arizonans. Now, this homegrown publication is preparing to expand its impact across the Southwest and beyond.
“If we can make it work in Arizona, we need to make sure it can work somewhere else.” said Jake Hylton, executive director of LOOKOUT, a nonprofit newsroom launched by Hylton and Joseph Jaafari, a former investigative reporter at The Arizona Republic. “The work we’re doing is so imperative, it needs to be in other places.”
Informed by months of listening sessions and designed with accountability journalism and community trust at its core, LOOKOUT launched with a focus on covering politics, health, business, safety and education through a queer lens. By embracing an accountability and service journalism approach to the work, the LOOKOUT team reports on the realities impacting Arizona’s queer community, while providing hope for workable solutions.
From gender discrimination and DEI funding rollbacks to hate-based crime and health equity, LOOKOUT has been lauded for consistently covering the key stories about LGBTQ+ rights in the state, alongside incisive analysis about the state of Arizona politics.
Results of a 2023 survey motivated the editors of LOOKOUT to address the gap in local news coverage.
Hylton and Jaafari have had “big conversations” about the success they’ve achieved since launching the news outlet in 2022. And both recognize that, given the current social and political landscape, their work is needed beyond Arizona.
As Hylton puts it, “We can draw through lines. The problems affecting people in Coolidge are the same things in Farmington and Provo.”
Alongside vital reporting, Hylton said, LOOKOUT has built and fostered a community. And that has been crucial.
“Our mission has been twofold. Putting queer people above the fold, in newspaper terms. Give them a voice and let them be seen. The other part of that is galvanizing that and building resilience within a community,” he said.
“We tend to be isolated because of safety. So we have very small circles that don’t really come together. Now we have the opportunity to make our coverage even more robust in the hopes we can build communities across these regions.”
As the team expands its geographic reach, its Arizona roots — and its commitment to trust, truth and transparency — remain foundational. Hylton summed it up this way: “Every decision we’ve made has been: How do we serve the community, and how do we ensure that trust is sustained or increased?”
By prioritizing accountability first journalism, partnerships to expand reach and hosting newsworthy events, LOOKOUT has experienced tremendous growth in just two years.
While Hylton admits he has an “activist heart,” the publication itself does not. It informs, and once it does, there’s always that potential that readers will be activated by the news they’ve received.
“We can give you comprehensive information about things going on,” he stated, “and hopefully that’s enough for you to do what you believe in.”
And as the publication moves into new markets, LOOKOUT’s message to queer entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and community members is clear: Don’t shrink. Be seen. Be proud.
“Right now, there’s a lot of fear,” said Hylton. “There’s a lot of thought and planning on how we can keep out of the bullseye or spotlight. But I believe the worst thing we can do is stay out of the spotlight because that is really what they want. Don’t be afraid to be out there and be in community.”
Related Information:
To explore stories from LOOKOUT, Arizona’s statewide queer news outlet, [click here].
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