5 Questions with Tucson Spotlight's Caitlin Schmidt and Susan Barnett

Tiny News Collective exists to support early-stage news entrepreneurs all across the United States who are raising their hands to provide community-focused news and information and places for community connection. We are who we are because of the founders we serve. And we want the journalism field, the civic information space and beyond to know about the creative, impactful work of these founders. To that end, we are thrilled to highlight their stories through an ongoing series of profiles and features.

For our latest feature, we caught up with Caitlin Schmidt (pictured, left), editor and publisher of Tucson Spotlight, and Susan Barnett (pictured, right), deputy editor of Tucson Spotlight. The Spotlight is a bilingual nonprofit newsroom co-founded by Caitlin and Susan, with a mission to provide Southern Arizona with robust, community-based journalism spotlighting undercovered topics through the lens of the Hispanic community. The duo discussed their mission and origin story, the recognition they have been receiving in South Tucson and the potential for revenue from events, forums and workshops.

“It’s not about building the biggest newsroom; it’s about building the most relevant one. One that listens first, adapts with intention, and stands as a true public service for all of Tucson,” Caitlin said.

1. What's the origin story for Tucson Spotlight?

Caitlin: We launched Tucson Spotlight to fill a critical gap in Southern Arizona’s news ecosystem: the lack of consistent, community-centered coverage of underrepresented voices, particularly in Spanish-speaking and historically marginalized neighborhoods.

The idea grew out of our deep concern for how shrinking newsrooms and the collapse of local outlets were leaving entire communities without access to reliable, relevant information. During my decade reporting for the Arizona Daily Star, I saw firsthand how often local media missed the stories, needs and concerns of Tucson’s diverse populations — or only showed up when something went wrong.

We created Tucson Spotlight as a response to that imbalance. It’s rooted in the belief that local journalism should not just report on communities, but with them, building trust, listening first and spotlighting solutions alongside challenges. Our newsroom prioritizes storytelling that is inclusive, multilingual and responsive to what people actually want and need to know to participate fully in civic life. By centering the voices of those often left out of traditional media narratives, we aim to reimagine what local journalism can be: collaborative, accessible and built for everyone.

Tucson Spotlight is also social-media forward, prioritizing the creation of reels, highlights and stories for TikTok and Instagram, recognizing that many in our community get their news from these platforms — and ensuring they receive factually accurate, community-centered information.

*Spotlight co-founder Susan Barnett accepts an award at the University of Arizona School of Journalism's annual award ceremony in May 2025. (Photo by Rick Wiley)*

2. Was there a particular moment when you felt that you had made a difference in your community with a story or feature that had an impact?

Susan: From the very beginning, covering the 1.2-square-mile city of South Tucson — a city with a Hispanic population of more than 75% — has been a priority. Tucson Spotlight has attended city council meetings, local events and spoken with dozens of South Tucson residents and community members. We’ve reported on the fire department, city government, business owners, community-led initiatives and everything in between.

Our commitment to covering underreported communities runs deep. It’s not just about reporting on a place; it’s about building real connections with the people who live there. This year, we partnered with the City of South Tucson and Casa Maria Soup Kitchen to produce a quarterly print newsletter for residents, sharing news and information about their community. While we maintain full editorial independence and South Tucson officials have no influence over the content, the partnership helps strengthen our role as a trusted community newsroom.

A moment that stands out came at a South Tucson community event, when I realized I knew nearly everyone in the room: faces from interviews, city meetings and neighborhood gatherings. People waved me over, introduced me to friends and called me “the South Tucson reporter,” a small but powerful sign that I’d earned their trust and that Tucson Spotlight had a place in their community.

Our work also extends into the digital space. Once, a young man approached me and asked if I was a journalist. He explained that he’d seen my coverage of South Tucson on Instagram, that he was from South Tucson, and that he appreciated the attention his city was receiving.

Encounters like this affirm that our work is making an impact. By being accessible and visible, we build deeper trust, not only informing the community, but engaging with them and showing that we are a resource they can rely on.

3. How did the city council meet-and-greet in July and your partnership with Arizona Luminaria come about? How did the event go?

*Ward 5 candidate Selina Barajas, right, talks with attendees of a July candidate meet-and-greet hosted by Tucson Spotlight and Arizona Luminaria. (Photo by Topacio "Topaz" Servellon)*

Caitlin: The city council candidate meet-and-greet came out of a shared desire between our newsrooms to create more accessible, human-centered spaces for civic engagement — spaces where voters could speak directly with the people on their ballots without the formality of speeches or panels. We wanted to strip away the performance and create a setting for honest, face-to-face conversations.

The partnership with Luminaria made perfect sense. I worked with its founders, Becky Pallack and Irene McKisson at the Arizona Daily Star. In our roles at the Star — and now at our new outlets — we’ve remained committed to community-powered journalism and to meeting people where they are.

How did it go? Even better than we hoped. More than 60 people showed up despite a looming monsoon, and the energy in the room was high all night. Voters asked smart, sometimes tough questions and many stayed past the official end time to keep the conversations going. We received positive feedback from attendees, with many indicating that they would attend a similar event in the future. It felt like a real reminder of what democracy can look like at the local level.

4. What's your business model for the newsroom, and what ways might you bring in revenues beyond donations and grants?

Caitlin: While much of our early funding comes from grants and individual donations, the long-term goal is to build a diverse and sustainable revenue model that aligns with our values and deepens the connection to the people we serve.

One potential path forward is developing a membership program that invites regular contributions from supporters in exchange for perks like exclusive updates, event access or behind-the-scenes insights, all while keeping news free and accessible to everyone.

We’re also exploring mission-aligned sponsorships, working with local businesses and organizations to support specific content areas or events without compromising editorial independence.

In addition, the newsroom sees an opportunity in hosting live events, community forums and journalism workshops that can both generate revenue and strengthen local engagement.

The focus is always on sustainability, transparency and putting community needs at the center of everything we do.

*Spotlight team members pose for a photo last winter. (Photo by Flo Tomasi)*

5. What's your vision for Tucson Spotlight and what it might become?

Caitlin: The vision for Tucson Spotlight is to become a trusted, community-powered newsroom that reflects the full complexity, resilience and diversity of Southern Arizona, especially the voices that have historically been overlooked or misrepresented by mainstream media.

At its core, Tucson Spotlight exists to create journalism with the community, not just about it.

The long-term goal is to grow into a bilingual, multi-platform news service that’s deeply embedded in local neighborhoods. One that not only reports on issues that matter, but also helps residents access the information they need to navigate daily life, hold power to account and build a stronger, more connected region.

In the future, Tucson Spotlight could expand its coverage through partnerships with other local outlets, train and mentor emerging reporters from within the communities it covers, and serve as a model for what equitable, responsive local news can look like in the Southwest and beyond.

Susan: My vision for Tucson Spotlight is for it to grow and continue creating real impact in the lives of the communities we serve. Not just by informing them, but by connecting and responding to their needs.

On our Spanish side, in El Foco de Tucson, I hope to continue to build trust with our Latino community and to be a resource for Spanish-speaking people in Tucson. My vision for El Foco is to reach more people where they are: online, at community events and in community spaces.

More than anything, I want people to feel a little more informed every time they consume Tucson Spotlight content. I also look forward to becoming a trusted go-to source of news for all of Tucson’s diverse communities.