KOSU is growing its coverage of Indigenous Affairs in Oklahoma.
Cherokee Nation citizen Katie Hallum joined the KOSU team full-time in July after starting part-time in the spring while wrapping up her college degree.
She has already reported on everything from America's first higher-education institution for Native Americans facing financial struggles to Cherokee Nation elections to a Native fashion store pop-up in Broken Arrow.
Hallum grew up in Tahlequah and attended the historic Native institution Sequoyah High School. Her upbringing in the heart of the Cherokee reservation has instilled a drive for covering Indigenous policy and governance.
“I’ve lived and experienced the same issues that are affecting Indigenous Oklahomans every day,” Hallum said. “I’m incredibly honored to work at a space like KOSU that is so eager to elevate local Native voices and shed light onto these stories.”
With the addition of Hallum to Indigenous Affairs reporter Sarah Liese, KOSU’s team covering Native American issues is now the largest of any mainstream media outlet in Oklahoma.
“KOSU is already a leader in covering Indigenous affairs,” KOSU executive director Rachel Hubbard said. “Katie will continue that legacy in her work. Indigenous Oklahomans should be leading coverage of Native communities here.”
Representing Native Americans in news coverage is an issue raised in a 2019 report released by NPR. The report showed Indigenous voices represented less than one percent of all the sources in NPR stories. By contrast, Indigenous voices represented over 20% of all sources in KOSU stories in 2023.
A 2023 report about NPR's staff also shows the Native people represent less than one percent of the national newsroom's staff.
KOSU is determined to change this narrative with Oklahoma-centered, Indigenous-focused storytelling. The organization has already set a high standard for Indigenous Affairs coverage in Oklahoma, publishing hundreds of stories focused on Native American issues, ranging from tribal sovereignty to the arts to the environment, in 2023 alone.
Hallum formerly worked as a host and producer for All Things Considered and Here & Now at KGOU in Norman. During her time there, she received several awards, including Best Newscast in the 2024 Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts.
Hallum is a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma with degrees in Journalism and International Security. She worked for The OU Daily and Gaylord News covering tribal affairs, health care and politics. She also briefly spent time at OU Nightly as their floor director.
Furthermore, Hallum was also recently named to the Indigenous Journalism Fellowship (IJF) class of 2024. As part of that, she will participate in a virtual curriculum with mentors to strengthen reporting skills, pitch stories and network with other Indigenous journalists.
When she is not reporting, Hallum is a patient advocate and ambassador for the American Kidney Fund. As an organ recipient, she travels as a keynote speaker for medical research conferences, discussing the future of innovation in solid organ transplantation.
Find out more about how to help fund her coverage here.
