The Fuller Project has been awarded a first place National Native Media Award alongside Indian Country Today for best coverage of Native America in print or online, recognizing “They Survived Intimate Partner Violence—Now They Can’t Vote Safely.” Jessica Klein’s October story examines the extraordinary obstacles intimate partner violence survivors—particularly those who identify as Indigenous or Native American—face when it comes to voting in the United States.
Awarded annually by the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), the National Native Media Awards recognize excellence in covering Indian Country by Indigenous and non-Indigenous journalists across the United States and Canada. This year, NAJA received more than 730 entries.
When domestic violence survivors register to vote, their addresses become public, exposing them to the abusers they are trying to evade. Our story with Indian Country Today found that the few resources aimed to help survivors vote safely, such as address confidentiality programs, tend not to effectively reach Indigenous people, who have a long history of disenfranchisement and experience domestic and other forms of violence at disproportionately higher rates than the general population.
“We are so honored to receive this award for our reporting on people who are systematically overlooked,” said The Fuller Project’s Editor-in-Chief, Khushbu Shah. “This kind of journalism is core to The Fuller Project’s mission, centering the voices of women and gender diverse people too long denied their share of news coverage.”
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s National Native Media Awards will be presented by the Native American Journalists Association in a virtual ceremony on October 28 at 3 p.m. CT. See the rest of this year’s winners here.
