Native American Newspapers: Telling
Uncomfortable Truths In Tribal Journalism, Mark N.
Trahant, Media Studies Journal
A reporter for the Seattle Times and a member of Idaho’s
Shoshone-Bannock tribe, Mark Trahant writes about his encounters
with censorship while working on tribal newspapers. In a
well-written personal essay–published as part of a series on
‘courage in journalism’ in the Media Studies
Journal–Trahant notes how important independent voices are
to Native American culture, and how hard they are to maintain.
‘Native American communities have a rich history of discourse–even
when the truth expressed makes us uncomfortable. It is this
heritage that keeps the best Native American journalists going,
knowing that they provide tribal members with solid information and
discussion. It’s a way of working directly for their people, their
readers.’ In the end, Trahant admonishes tribal leaders who
compromise freedom of speech for their own agendas.
–Sara V.
Buckwitz
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