Malak Silmi covers city and government affairs for Outlier Media, a nonprofit service journalism organization based in Detroit, Michigan. Previously, she was a digital reporter for the San Antonio Express-News in Texas, covering trends and breaking news. Silmi holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and international studies from Wayne State University, where she was a reporter and news editor of the student paper, The South End. She has interned at Michigan public radio, and participated in The New York Times Student Journalism Institute. Shortly after graduating in 2020, Silmi reported for Outlier Media, providing updates on COVID-19 guidelines, elections and other topics, with information in both English and Arabic. For fun, she enjoys traveling, reading and enjoying the outdoors (when it’s warm).
Beat: Detroit City Hall
This reporter covers city government in a place where greater accountability is needed -- fueled by the input from the engaged citizens reached through Outlier Media's unique text-based network. Detroit Documenters, a group of highly engaged citizens trained by local media organizations to take notes at public meetings, deliver a constant flow of story ideas by providing clear notes outlining the particulars of city and county government meetings.