Meet Sam Barney-Gibbs, Daylight’s newest reporter and budding 'Swiss Army Knife'
Sam Barney-Gibbs aims to cure news media fatigue and report not just on the community, but with it.
Introduce yourself.
Hi everyone! I’m Sam Barney-Gibbs (he/they), a politics reporter turned local San Diego news enthusiast. I’ve built up my media skills and education across beats, mediums and journalism approaches that I hope will make me Daylight’s resident “Swiss Army Knife.”
Why did you become a journalist?
I got bit by the journalism bug when I was 14, just entering high school. There, I learned about the unique beauty and power of student journalism while navigating how to train my newsroom on new fact-checking processes, reviewing first amendment law and being way too annoying about grammar edits. I later became editor in chief of my university newspaper, where I expanded my multimedia skills and ran the only newspaper covering the South Side of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This tie to and love for local reporting stuck with me. I want to leverage my privilege and knowledge in this field to meet my new home, San Diego, where it's at.
What type of journalism do you like to cover? What topics?
I studied politics in addition to journalism in undergrad, so I gravitate naturally toward political and governmental topics. I’ve previously worked in national and international political news across platforms and heavily utilizing social media, but I’m eager to expand my specialties to include LGBTQ+ and mental health-centric communities here in San Diego. Then again, everything is political! So, I want to uplift voices wherever and however I can.
Who’s your favorite musical artist?
I grew up listening to The Beatles, had a Panic! at the Disco phase, of course, and now I listen to a lot of Omar Apollo, Remi Wolf, Daniel Caesar, Olivia Dean, Lizzy McAlpine and many other artists one would argue makes music for queer people like me!
What TV shows or movies are on your mind at the moment?
I’m rewatching Parks and Recreation for about the 217th time, but I do that with many similar sitcoms. I’m a sucker for Wes Anderson-style films, and an all-time underrated favorite is “20th Century Women.” Also, let the record reflect that I’ve cried to the series “The Newsroom” — shocking, isn’t it?
What hobbies do you have?
I let my academics define me for almost a decade (boo!), but I’m learning to reconnect with a deeper and truer version of myself who loves tennis, pickleball, paddleboarding, reading self-help and research-based books for pleasure, baking as much as possible and exploring the seemingly endless activities of San Diego.
What does living in San Diego mean to you?
This is a new chapter for me, defined by more intentional and balanced living. San Diego has allowed me to be closer with my family, provided unparalleled spaces to reconnect with nature and delve into community in a way other places I’ve been haven’t fostered. I look forward to becoming a part of the fabric of this vibrant area.
If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be doing instead?
I’m a barista! But, I also am taking steps to soon get my Master of Social Work degree and become a licensed therapist. The mental health and therapy spaces are near to my heart, and I hope to explore them more soon.
If you could interview any person, living or dead, who would it be and why?
João Lucas Reis de Silva is the first openly gay, active male tennis player and I would love to chat with him about the significance of his identity to his game.
Do you have a favorite journalist or writer who inspires you?
Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez wrote a series of columns that were eventually converted to a book called “The Soloist.” The way Lopez writes with uncharacteristic literary devices for journalism and so beautifully humanizes people often considered as ‘othered’ makes it my favorite piece of writing to this day. His journalism is art to me.
What’s the most unexpected or bizarre story you’ve ever covered?
I interviewed a woman who graduated from my university and was living in Ukraine at the start of the war with Russia. I called and spoke with her for over an hour about her horrific firsthand experiences, stories of her heroism in action and advice to aid providers…The article wasn’t published because she stopped responding after that call. I wonder where she is and hope she is alright every day. This experience has forever shaped the way I interact with the people I interview.
If you could write a headline for your life right now, what would it be?
Random person tries their absolute best: Part infinity
— Sam Barney-Gibbs
Nearly 20 volunteers braved an 87-degree heat wave to help clean up trash near the Market Creek Plaza last Sunday afternoon. Led by the Diamond Business Improvement District and the County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, the group hopes it will inspire others to take pride in their community and join future efforts to keep the neighborhood clean.
— Lauren J. Mapp
No way out of immigration custody
After a Board of Immigration Appeals decision in May, people in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement are having a more difficult time getting released on bond.
— Kate Morrissey, Capital & Main
A group of 17 nonprofits in San Diego will receive $6 million to support efforts to improve employment opportunities for youth, The Prebys Foundation recently announced. The funding, which will be doled out over a two-year period, will pay for internships, apprenticeships and job training for young adults ages 18 to 26. The nonprofits will focus on youth who face barriers such as poverty, homelessness, incarceration or foster care.
— Lauren J. Mapp
This week, San Diego has a workshop on making collages to celebrate multicultural identities, a networking night at Mid-City CAN featuring a conversation about ending girls’ incarceration and a summit led by the San Diego Black Worker Center at Southwestern College. There are also a couple of festivals around the county, including the Cardiff Greek Festival, grape stomping in Julian, Boots by the Bay featuring country music songwriters and the kickoff to the Oceanside Plein Air Festival, an annual celebration inspiring creators to get outside to make art.
— Lauren J. Mapp
Other news
Many California cities, including some in San Diego County, are towing more vehicles from unhoused Californians as part of a broader effort to keep unhoused people off the streets, according to CalMatters. These new policies ban larger vehicles from parking on city streets for longer than two hours, making it impossible for people to live in an RV or similar mobile home.
San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert hopes to beat out incumbent congressperson Rep. Darrell Issa, turning the seat blue like she did on city council, KPBS reported. She announced her campaign Wednesday amid talks of reshaping California’s congressional district map — to compensate for similar map changes in Texas — that could make the 48th district lean Democrat instead of being a Republican stronghold.
Amanda Nasser, a first-generation Palestinian-American and long-time emergency room nurse in San Diego, shared her experience volunteering at a hospital in Gaza with Times of San Diego. Nasser went with the medical solidarity and resource organization Glia to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis last month, where her team faced extreme shortages and a facility working over 200% capacity.
A study from UCLA showed nonprofits in San Ysidro provided essential services — from food delivery to vaccinations awareness to cash assistance and shelter — when more formal systems failed. An analysis of the report by inewsource found that organizations like Lifeline Community Services, the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty and Casa Familiar also became leaders in long-term solutions for economic and health crises, especially with niche border-related issues.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 4
Ending Girls Incarceration Networking Night: Mid-City CAN is hosting a networking night featuring conversations about ending girls' incarceration. The event is in partnership with Youth Empowerment, Community Wraparound, the California Alliance for Youth and Justice, and the Young Women's Freedom Center. 6 to 8 p.m. 4305 University Ave., Suite 640, San Diego, CA 92105
Justice in Sexual and Reproductive Health of People on the Move: A discussion of sexual and reproductive health justice for the migrant community will be hosted at Cervecería Insurgente in Tijuana as part of Miradas Fronterizas. The evening features Ximenas Rojas and Carla Posse from Partería y Medicinas Ancestrales AC (Midwifery and Ancestral Medicines AC) and Acompañantas Fronterizas (Border Companions), and Olga Olivas, a researcher from El Colegio de la Frontera Norte. 6 to 8 p.m., Cervecería Insurgente, Juan Cordero 10021, Zona Urbana Rio Tijuana, 22010 Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
Sept. 6
Julian Grape Stomp Festa: Julian hosts its 28th annual grape stomping festival where attendees have the opportunity to squish grapes with their feet while tasting wines from the region. Admission is $25 for adults, $8 for those ages 6 to 20. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Menghini Winery, 1150 Julian Orchards Dr, Julian, CA 92036
Black in Front Summit: The San Diego Black Worker Center is hosting the third annual Black in Front Summit with the theme “Beyond Survival: Building Black Ecosystems & Creating Our Own Tables.” The event will include free workshops, childcare, food trucks, networking opportunities and community resources. RSVP online. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Southwestern College Performing Arts Center, 900 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Sept. 7
SoCal Creators Connect: KasuBantu hosts a free community gathering featuring music by DJ Trekapo, an art display and raffle drawing by Boxhead Arts, free haircuts and a community conversation guided by Felicity Lauren. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Block Club, 6402 Imperial Ave., San Diego, CA 92114
86 Cancer Fundraiser: Crafted Coupe is hosting a fundraiser to support one of its bartenders, Julio Medina, who is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer on May 5. The benefit will include 12 bartenders and raffle prizes with all of the proceeds going to Medina. 6 p.m. to Midnight, Crafted Coupe, 3933 30th St. Suite 2, San Diego, CA 92104
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