You’re Invited: Crosswinds Community Conversation
Over the past year, Crosswinds News has spent time listening to Native communities across northeast Oklahoma, including multiple stops in Tulsa County, to better understand how people access information and what’s missing from the local news landscape.
This month, we are releasing our Native-Focused Tulsa County Information Ecosystem Assessment, built from survey responses and our 2025 Listening & Learning Tour. The findings reflect what many community members have been telling us for years: Native people are deeply connected to one another but often disconnected from the information systems meant to serve them.
What the Community Told Us
Across surveys and listening sessions, several clear themes emerged:
🪶 Community events and culture are undercovered
Nearly half of respondents said they want more coverage of community events, with many emphasizing a desire for news that reflects culture, creativity, and everyday Native life, not just challenge-driven narratives.
🪶 Trust is shaped by relationships
People told us they rely heavily on information shared through family, friends, Native-led organizations, and community spaces. Trusted information often flows through relationships rather than institutions.
🪶 Information gaps limit participation
Almost half of respondents identified a lack of information about how to get involved as a key barrier to civic and community engagement, even among people with stable internet access and higher levels of education.
🪶 Visibility and respect matter
How stories are told and who tells them directly affects whether people feel seen, respected, and informed.
Taken together, these insights reinforce a simple truth: improving the information ecosystem isn’t just about publishing more stories. It requires listening, follow-through, and systems built with Native communities, not just about them.
What Comes Next for Crosswinds News
Based on what we heard, Crosswinds News is focusing on next steps that include:
- Expanding “How to Get Involved” coverage
- Building a Native events and resources calendar
- Strengthening video, newsletter, and podcast distribution
- Increasing tribal government and civic explainers
- Hosting more community conversations in trusted spaces
Before moving forward, we want to check back in with the people who made this work possible.
Join the Conversation
We’re hosting a virtual community conversation to share early findings from the assessment and make sure we’re interpreting them correctly.
📅 Thursday, January 22
🕢 7:30–8:30 PM CT
📍 Online via Zoom
Thank you for showing up, sharing your voice, and helping guide this work.
And thank you to Listening Post Collective for making this assessment possible!
