Letters | Headlines judge

Headlines judge

Editor,

Once again, the Navajo Times demonstrates the power – and the peril – of editorialized headlines.

The Feb. 5 edition of the Navajo Times which featured the following front-page headline, “Nygren faces six ethics charges over budget manipulation, firing of watchdog controller,” is a prime example.

Language matters. The word “charges” implies guilt. A more accurate, fair term would be “allegations” or “complaint.”

Similarly, “budget manipulation” is loaded. It suggests proven wrongdoing. Nothing has been adjudicated, yet the headline prejudges the case.

Finally, the phrase “watchdog controller” is editorializing disguised as fact. It biases public perception before any court review.

Headlines are meant to inform readers quickly, not to assign guilt or cast moral judgment. In this instance, the Navajo Times missed an opportunity to present a neutral, factual account. A fairer headline would describe the filing as “allegations” or an “ethics complaint,” and avoiding loaded language until the court has spoken.

Journalism’s credibility depends on accuracy and fairness. When headlines lean into editorializing, readers are left with impression and conclusions rather than information – and that does a disservice to public discourse.

My Navajo people, take a moment to read headlines and articles carefully and think critically about what you see. Don’t take first impressions as fact. Be mindful of stories that judge, sensationalize, or jump to conclusions, especially those based on “jini.”

We all know the Navajo Times is facing challenges with readership, and as a struggling paper, they may feel pressured to rely on attention-grabbing headlines. Still, it’s important to recognize the importance of balanced reporting, and to guard our understanding against being misled.

Also, in the January 29 edition, the Times published “Nygren faces five hours of Council scrutiny as ARPA deadlines near.”

While the State of the Nation report highlighted a slate of accomplishments across the Navajo Nation, none of these achievements were included in the article.
The piece frames the State of the Navajo Nation address almost entirely around conflict and criticism, giving readers the impression that President Nygren’s report was a failure. By focusing on “scrutiny,” “stalled projects,” and “growing impatience,” it omits any mention of successes or progress that the administration shared during the session. The headline and lead reinforce this negative framing, emphasizing confrontation rather than balance. A more neutral approach would highlight both achievements and challenges and use language that accurately reflects the full scope of the report instead of suggesting it was solely contentious.

The administration detailed significant progress in nearly every aspect of tribal life: from securing the continued operation of the Four Corners Power Plant to protect hundreds of Navajo jobs, to opening multiple new hotels across the Nation that will create tourism and employment opportunities; from delivering hundreds of homes and bathroom additions to Navajo families, to expanding safe, reliable water and electricity access across dozens of communities; from modernizing public safety with mobile detention centers, new 911 infrastructure, and law enforcement vehicles, to improving health services with the Phoenix Urban Residential Treatment Center and expanded veteran support programs – and more.

These are not minor accomplishments. They are transformative actions shaping the Navajo Nation’s future. Yet, remarkably, they were absent from the coverage, leaving the public unaware of the full scope of progress being made across housing, infrastructure, public safety, economic development, health, education and environmental stewardship.

The reporter’s coverage of the report highlights a recurring problem – an exclusive focus on criticism and challenges, rather than a balanced account of achievements and progress.

The article, with its emphasis on “pressure points,” stalled projects, and “money sitting” in accounts, paints the session as a litany of failures. While issues such as housing infrastructure gaps, veterans’ services, and financial transparency are important and deserve scrutiny, the story omits the context and accomplishments that were also part of the President’s report. For instance, the delivery of homes, progress on senior centers, and policy reforms to streamline utility connections are mentioned only in passing, framed as complications rather than successes.

By emphasizing conflict and frustration without acknowledging solutions or forward momentum, the reporting risks leaving readers with a skewed perception that nothing is being achieved. Balanced journalism should inform the public of both challenges and progress, presenting facts without implicitly assigning blame or painting the leadership in a wholly negative light.

Our communities deserve accurate reporting that celebrates accomplishments while holding officials accountable – not coverage that turns every update into a crisis narrative.

Buu Nygren
President, Navajo Nation
Window Rock, Ariz.

Get instant access to this story by purchasing one of our many e-edition subscriptions HERE at our Navajo Times Store.

 

---