WPR Special Report:
The Free Press Debate in Indian Country
09/22/05
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A shooting rampage on Minnesota’s Red Lake Indian reservation this spring spurred flocks of reporters to the area who found it largely closed off to outsiders. Chippewa tribal leaders said the closure was to protect residents from the media deluge, but journalists argued it tread on their free press rights…only to learn free press isn’t guaranteed in “Indian Country.” As sovereign entities, tribal governments often restrict or censure coverage on the reservation. And as Brian Bull reports, the debate over who controls the message is far from over…
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One organization that has lobbied the more than 500 federally-recognized Indian tribes for free press recognition is the Native American Journalists Association. NAJA argues that financial and editorial independence helps keep local government accountable and provides a fuller, more in-depth, and balanced perspective on Indian issues. But many tribal leaders counter that since the tribe is often the sole funder of tribal newspapers, and radio and television stations, that it's their inherent right to decide on the media's content. Other tribal officials consider it part of their respective duties as representatives of their community.
One successful collaboration happened in 2003, between the Navajo Nation and The Navajo Times newspaper. The tribal council voted to make the publication free of government interference, and its staff is currently exploring ways to make it an individual corporation. Other notable examples of free press among tribal media include Paul DeMain's News from Indian Country based in Hayward, Wisconsin, and The Cherokee Phoenix, which is guaranteed free press by the Cherokee Nation's constitution. It's estimated that only ten-percent of all federally-recognized tribes officially support free press in their laws.
***WEB EXTRA***
Click on the following links to learn more about Native American issues and journalism:
Native American Journalists Association
www.naja.com
Western Knight Center for Specialized Journalism: Covering Native Americans in the 21st Century
www.wkconline.org/index.php/seminar_showcase/nativeamerican2005/
NPR NextGeneration Radio Training Project - NAJA 2005
http://www.npr.org/about/nextgen/naja05/index.html
Photo credits: Brian Bull (cliff shot); Western Knight Center for Specialized Journalism (mural shot and Navajo Times office shot); and NPR (pow wow dancers from NAJA 2005 Opening Ceremony).
