Less than one percent of the 574 recognized tribal territories have laws protecting a free press. On Tuesday, The Dallas Morning News hosted a screening of the documentary "Bad Press," which highlights this issue.
The Sundance-premiered documentary follows a group of local journalists from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma as they fight for free press protections despite tribal leaders' attempts to silence “bad press.” Tommy Cummings, arts and entertainment reporter for The News, organized the event. Cummings is a Native journalist himself of Muscogee-Menominee-Potawatomi descent, and grew up in Oklahoma.
“I thought it was important for people to understand the type of challenges Indigenous journalists face. They’re not that different from the kind of challenges that mainstream journalists face,” Cummings said.
Angel Ellis, a journalist with Mvskoke Media, is the main subject of the film. Ellis and co-director Rebecca Landsberry-Baker participated in a Q-&-A session following the screening, where they stressed the importance of supporting press freedom in tribal territories.
When asked what non-Indigenous people can do to help the cause, Ellis said it's crucial for other journalists to build relationships with Indigenous journalists, so they can share stories and leak information when necessary.
“Then we can apply pressure to anyone who is a decision maker, a policymaker,” Ellis said. “They will have to listen because it will be elevated in platforms that we don't have access to.”
Landsberry-Baker is also the executive director of the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA). Both she and Ellis stressed how important NAJA’s work is to supporting similar efforts for press freedom in tribal territories across the country.
“This is the work we were founded on, to provide this community of support for those, you know, handful of tribes that have free press or those who want to adopt free press protection,” Landsberry-Baker said, “Because, you know, at the legislative or constitutional level, if that's what they want to do, we're here to provide those resources for them.”
But Ellis recommends sticking to grassroots efforts when possible. She said the efforts at Muscogee (Creek) Nation can provide a blueprint for other communities looking to do the same.
“You can appeal to the Supreme Court, but you lose something every time you ask another sovereign to help a sovereign out,” Ellis said, “So it has to be a grassroots citizen-led initiative, and we’re looking for those communities that are ready, that are right for this.”
Given that Ellis’ passion and dedication to journalism was the subject of the film, viewers at the screening were surprised to hear her admit she had no formal journalism education. Ellis said her passion for accountability reporting came from watching and reading local journalists growing up. But it also came from her family, who taught her how meaningful it is to be a storyteller.
“I compare the journalist to my mom or my grandma. They would take pictures of me and they would put me in a photo album. There is no greater love on earth than people who will write you into the consciousness of other minds,” Ellis said. “I believe that with all my heart, I thought it was the most important thing I could devote myself to.”
Bad Press was chosen for the Dallas International Film Festival this year and will be screening at other film festivals in the coming weeks, including DocLands, Mountainfilm and Seattle International Film Festival later this month.
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
