Leadership in Community Media: Serving as a ‘Helpful Guest’

Myers Reece, executive director of Underscore Native News, shows what it means to lead when the story isn’t yours 

What does it mean to lead a newsroom deeply rooted in a community that’s not your own?

For Myers Reece, executive director of Underscore Native News, it starts with something simple but powerful: respect—for the people, the culture, and the lived experiences that shape the work. Reece, an Asian American journalist, took the helm in 2022. Since then, the Indigenous-centered newsroom has earned national recognition for its excellence—and for how it shows up.

Between 2023 and 2025, Underscore won 58 national and regional journalism awards, including top honors from the Indigenous Journalists Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2025, the outlet brought home 19 awards from the Indigenous Media Awards—more than any other print or online publication in the country.

But awards alone don’t define the newsroom. Pivot Fund CEO Tracie Powell recently spoke with Reece on The Pivot Fund Pod to highlight what truly matters: a newsroom that operates with humility, centers collaboration, and keeps the community at the heart of everything it does.

Leading as a “guest” in the newsroom

Reece describes his role as one of stewardship, not control. “My job is to be a helpful guest in this space… and that involves using my journalism experience, what I bring as a journalist of color, and my desire to do this work in a better way,” he says. “If I can bring enough of those things to this role, I hope to prove to be a useful and helpful guest.”

That mindset translates into a newsroom culture where Indigenous voices lead the reporting, shape coverage priorities, and guide how stories are told. From sourcing to editing, Underscore prioritizes Indigenous lived experience as central—not peripheral—to the reporting process.

“The staff, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, we all take our cues from the community,” Reece says. “It’s the community that is ultimately the boss, the guiding force.”

Centering community accountability

Underscore’s reporters don’t parachute in and out of stories; they live in and with the communities they cover. The newsroom has built a reputation for reporting that is trusted precisely because it is informed by local relationships. Coverage of issues like environmental justice and cultural preservation reflect not only deep expertise but also deep accountability to the people most affected.

This approach has ripple effects. By earning the trust of Indigenous communities, Underscore also influences how traditional outlets cover Native issues, challenging stereotypes and filling long-standing gaps in representation.

Why this matters for funders

Despite its clear impact, Indigenous-majority staff and board, and deep ties to community, Underscore has hit a wall with some national funders—particularly those that don’t consider the outlet “Indigenous-led.”

“It’s tough if you’re not on the ground here,” Reece said. “If you’re not hearing directly from the community, that can be limiting.”

Instead, Underscore has built durable relationships with regional and tribally focused foundations—funders who understand the local ecosystem and recognize the newsroom’s value.

“Many of them work closely with local tribes or Indigenous communities in Portland and Seattle, so they understand our impact and the role we play in the ecosystem,” he said.

For philanthropy, Reece’s leadership is a reminder that community media cannot be reduced to who sits at the top of the masthead. Effective leadership in these spaces may look different than in legacy institutions—it can mean lifting up others’ voices, practicing humility, and making space for community authority.

Supporting outlets like Underscore requires funders to look at the whole picture:

• Who holds decision-making power and how is it shared?
• How does the newsroom stay accountable to its community?
• What systems are in place to ensure cultural respect and care?

The takeaway is clear: When philanthropy broadens its lens and invests in leadership models built on humility, accountability, and shared power, it strengthens not just a newsroom, but the ecosystem of trust and representation that community media delivers.