MuckRock Selects LOOKOUT for National Election Accountability Reporting Cohort

The Southwest's leading LGBTQ+ newsroom, LOOKOUT, has joined a new national investigative reporting initiative from MuckRock aimed at strengthening local accountability journalism ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The nonprofit transparency and public records organization announced Tuesday that LOOKOUT is one of four newsrooms selected for its inaugural Election Accountability Cohort, a yearlong partnership designed to provide investigative resources, public records support and advanced research tools to local outlets covering pivotal races across the country.

The program comes as many independent and nonprofit newsrooms continue to face staffing shortages, shrinking budgets and limited access to investigative infrastructure. Through MuckRock’s Sunlight Research Desk, participating newsrooms will receive hands-on support for deep-dive election reporting, including investigative consultation calls, workshops, AI-powered document analysis tools and access to premium public records request services.

Founded in 2022 by Joseph Darius Jaafari, LOOKOUT has quickly become a major force in Arizona accountability journalism, focusing on LGBTQ+ communities, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, education, prisons, policing and state politics. The newsroom has won multiple journalism awards and built a statewide reputation for deeply reported investigations centered on queer Arizonans.

“LGBTQ+ Arizonans have a lot riding on 2026, from the statehouse to the ballot box,” said Jake Hylton, LOOKOUT’s executive director, in a statement announcing the partnership. “Partnering with MuckRock and the Sunlight Research Desk means we can do the slower, in-depth, document-driven reporting behind the races that will most shape our communities’ futures.”

The cohort also includes Arizona Agenda, Arizona Luminaria and Planet Detroit. MuckRock said two additional openings remain for newsrooms in competitive battleground states.

Each participating newsroom will receive a subsidized support package valued at roughly $16,000, funded in part by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.