The Cherokee Phoenix newspaper will serve as one model for a free press in Indian Country when American Indian journalists meet in Tulsa next week.
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When the Cherokee Nation adopted an independent press law in 2000, the Phoenix became an anomaly in Indian Country, where most tribal newspapers operate as instruments of the government.
"The free press among tribal media continues to be a not-so-free press. The tribes I'm aware of that have written, official policies allowing for a free press, you could count on one hand," said George Benge, a Cherokee and director of diversity for the Gannett media company.
Benge will moderate a panel discussion on free press in Indian Country at the 22nd annual conference of the Native American Journalists Association, which runs Wednesday through Saturday at Tulsa's Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Of the 300 or so journalists expected to attend, about two-thirds will be from tribal media, said association president Mike Kellogg, a Navajo and publisher of the Stillwater NewsPress.
Indians remain the most under-represented minority group in mainstream media newsrooms, according to annual surveys by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The 2006 survey found 309 Indians among the 54,000-plus journalists at daily, mainstream newspapers in the United States.
Benge has tried to attract and mentor young native journalists during his 35-plus years in mainstream media, but he has not seen a chain reaction.
"I must say, the pool of Native American journalists working at mainstream newspapers has remained small and constant," he said.
That is beginning to change with new efforts to recruit Indians into college journalism programs and professional careers, Kellogg said.
The Native American Journalists Association offers scholarships and training opportunities for journalism students at the national convention. The Freedom Forum's American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota graduated 127 students in its first five years.
Many will start their careers in mainstream media before heeding the call to return to their ancestral lands and jobs in tribal media, Benge said. When they go back, they will bring new tools and abilities to improve the practice of journalism in their homelands.
They face an uphill battle, Benge said. Tribal media frequently are underfunded and use antiquated equipment. And journalists may face threats of firing if they report information elected officials wish to conceal, he said.
The Cherokee Phoenix is one success story. Although the paper is tribally funded, editor Dan Agent said the Cherokee Independent Press Act of 2000 prevents interference by tribal leaders.
"Ours is set up to require us to report the news in a fair and balanced fashion. As long as we're doing that, we can't be fired," Agent said.
Another model of press freedom in Indian Country is the Navajo Times, a 21,000-circulation paper serving the Navajo Nation. Since 2004, the paper has been owned by the Navajo Times Publishing Co., established by the tribe to guarantee the paper's independence.
Both Cherokee Chief Chad Smith and Tom Arviso Jr., publisher of the Navajo Times, will participate in Friday's panel discussion on press freedom in Indian Country.
Benge hopes the session will recharge the push for a free native press.
"The main thing we can do is continue to beat the drum, so to speak, and offer our voices in unison on behalf of a free press," he said.
