Tucson Spotlight co-founder Susan Barnett has been selected as a 2025–26 Chips Quinn Fellow, one of just 10 early-career journalists chosen nationwide for the yearlong program.

The fellowship, run by Journalism Funding Partners and supported by Freedom Forum, provides participants with training and mentorship from veteran newsroom leaders. It’s designed to support journalists from underrepresented communities and build leadership, communication and collaboration skills early in their careers.

Barnett, a Tucson native and graduate student at the University of Arizona, helped launch Tucson Spotlight last year after leaving another local news outlet.

"For the next year, I’ll receive one-on-one mentorship for how to be a better newsroom leader and better reporter in general," Barnett said. "I will attend trainings and workshops to refine my skills alongside nine other amazing journalists from all around the nation. I am exited to enter the network of Chips Quinn alums."

Her reporting focuses on immigration, South Tucson and bilingual community coverage. She also oversees Tucson Spotlight's Spanish-language coverage and social media accounts, El Foco de Tucson.

Now in its 33rd year, the Chips Quinn program was launched in 1991 with the mission of diversifying the industry workforce pipeline. It has supported more than 1,400 journalists across the country.

Barnett will also be participating in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ Student Project at the group’s national convention in Chicago next month.

The project is a weeklong newsroom training experience where she and 11 other student journalists and recent graduates will hone their skills during the convention. They'll work under the guidance of professional mentors and write, report, shoot and edit photos and videos for The Latino Reporter.

"I am extremely honored to have been accepted into this prestigious program, following along the steps of some of my amazing colleagues and mentors," Barnett said. "I am also excited to put my reporting skills to the test in an unfamiliar and fast-paced environment, learning from some of the best journalists in the country."

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please consider supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation.