Aryana Noroozi
In a recent CatchLight publication, I was able to share reflections on my fellowship here at Black Voice News. As I wrap up my three-year journey as a CatchLight Local and Report for America fellow and transition into a new chapter, continuing as a full-time visual journalist with Black Voice News, I’ve been thinking deeply about what this fellowship has meant — not just for my career, but for the communities I’ve had the privilege of covering.
The CatchLight article shares a bit about how as I began this fellowship, I was already passionate about community-based journalism. But over the past few years, my practice has evolved into something more relational, intentional, and creative. I’ve come to understand visual journalism not just as documentation, but as a form of presence — one that centers listening, collaboration, and care.
From long-form reporting on caregiving to documenting the impact of warehouse development in the Inland Empire, I’ve had the opportunity to witness both quiet moments of resilience and systemic patterns of injustice. The people I met and the stories they shared taught me how to slow down, how to build trust, and how to see photography as more than just a tool — but as a language.
Below in a conversation with a BVN moderator, I was able to further reflect on my time at BVN creating a visual archive for communities across the IE.
BVN: What is a not so obvious take away that you’ve discovered during your fellowship?
AN: People don’t always fully understand the role of visual journalism or what I’m showing up in their home to do. Once we have an opportunity to chat about what I hope to accomplish working with and photographing them, they see how portraying their life via images helps make the story we’re trying to tell more relatable and digestible for our readers. One of the most rewarding parts of this work is seeing them almost light up once they realize the impact of giving a window into their life may have on others understanding their situation. The best part, of course, is seeing them happy with the final story and images!
BVN: You spent 18 months documenting warehouse development in Bloomington. How did you approach that visually?
AN: I wanted the photos to speak to what it feels like to live in a place being reshaped by development — the noise, the uncertainty, the displacement, but also the resistance. I photographed planning meetings, protests, homes that were being demolished, and everyday life in between. My hope was to visually reflect the complexity: what the community is losing, what it’s fighting for, and what it might gain.
BVN: The CatchLight article also touched on your reporting about caregiving. What made that story so meaningful?
AN: That series was incredibly personal and emotional for those whose stories we told; it required a lot of getting to know each other and trust. It focused on families caring for loved ones with disabilities — a type of labor that is often invisible and undervalued. One moment that really stayed with me was when a source stood up during a panel discussion about the series and said that my questions made her realize just how long she had been caregiving and how much she had carried. That was a reminder of what this work can do: help people see their own worth.
BVN: What does it mean to continue this work with Black Voice News?
AN: This newsroom has always prioritized justice, history, and accountability so I’m excited to continue pushing visual storytelling forward in a place that values deep listening and long-term engagement. There’s so much untold beauty, struggle, and movement happening in the Inland Empire and I look forward to continuing making work that’s rooted in this place and responsive to the people who live here.