J-School Breaking News

• Top journalist speaks on improving media coverage of Indian issues
• J-school being evaluated by regional trade organization

School of Journalism

The University of Montana

March 1999

Top journalist speaks on improving media coverage of Indian issues

By PATIA STEPHENS

American Indian tribes are changing the face of the United States, but the public isn't being made aware of it by the media, according to one of the country's premier Indian journalists.

Dennis McAuliffe Jr.,assistant foreign editor at the Washington Post and enrolled member of Oklahoma's Osage tribe, has been the first Native American journalist-in-residence at The University of Montana since January. He gave a lecture on "The Media and Misunderstanding of NativeAmerican Sovereignty" at UM's Center for the Rocky Mountain West on Feb. 25.

Indians are involved in many of the hot topics of the day, including natural resource issues -- such as water rights, timber and mining -- tourism and recreation, and economics, McAuliffe told the audience. However, media consumers often miss out on the whole story, he said, because of ignorance rooted in Hollywood's past portrayal of Indians.

In the movies, "Indians were always presented as problem people, as obstacles to progress,"McAuliffe said. "They were consigned to history, literally moved off the screen. We didn't have to take Indians seriously."

In fact, McAuliffe said, those are the three main problems with the media today -- treating Indians as problem people, consigning Indians to history and not taking Indians seriously.

For example, few people know that the U.S. government is comprised of three sovereign powers: federal, state and tribal. Nor are most people aware that tribes are, by definition, governments.

"Reporters don't know that, either, because they went to the same schools and the same movies," McAuliffe said.

The result of this ignorance, McAuliffe said, is a paucity of stories about Indian issues. The ones that do make it into print are often incomplete, inaccurate or stereotypical.

"The losers in all of this are the readers ... who would gobble up Indian stories with their morning cereal if they could," he said. "There is a potential for even more compelling stories than the old ones."

McAuliffe, who wasn't raised as an Indian, embraced his heritage when, in 1992, he began researching his Osage grandmother's mysterious death. The complex, violent tale that emerged became a book, "The Deaths of Sybil Bolton: An American History" (Random House, 1994). McAuliffe's book will be republished as "Bloodland" by Council Oak Books in September and has been approved by CBS for developmentinto a made-for-TV movie.

While he struggled to unearth the truth about his grandmother's 1925 death, McAuliffe also sought to educate himself on contemporary Indian issues like identity, sovereignty and casinos.

"The first thing I discovered was that I couldn't learn them in the media,"he said. Newspaper articles were often one-sided and just plain wrong, McAuliffe said.

So he set out to change the way Indian issues are covered. His influence helped create an American Indian reporting beat at the Washington Post in 1998. He hopes his presence at UM -- and at Salish-Kootenai College in Pablo, where he will teach a beginning reporting class starting in April -- will increase the number of Indians choosing journalism careers. Through his work at UM's School of Journalism, McAuliffe also is in a position to better educate non-Indians on tribal topics. This semester, he is teaching two UM classes: a Multicultural Reporting Seminar and the Native News Honors Project.

Reaching the minds of young men and women is one of the solutions to improving media coverage, McAuliffe said.

"Young people don't have all this junk in their head -- preconceived ideas of what is an Indian," he said.

The other solution lies with the tribes, he said. Instead of mistrusting the media or waiting for good press, Indians should actively seek coverage and work to educate reporters and editors.

"Tribes hold the key to the whole equation," McAuliffe said.

How tribes can improve media coverage of Indian issues:

• Hire a press officer. "Tribes don't know how to play the media game, and they need to learn," McAuliffe said. Each tribe should have a representative who is both trained in media relations and knowledgeable about Indian issues. Duties typically include sending out professional news releases, answering media queries and building relationships with local and national press. "The main thing the tribe's public relations efforts should stress is the economic benefits that non-Indians derive from the tribes," he added. "That's the message, period.
  
• Start a good tribal newspaper. Many existing newspapers are troubled, McAuliffe said, with interference from tribal councils, "grip and grin" photos, poorly written stories and a lack of news. A quality, readable tribal paper provides story ideas and source materials for the larger media.
  
• Provide more journalism education in tribal colleges. The students of today are the media of tomorrow. Increasing the numbers of young Indians who choose journalism careers, or who simply learn to better work with the media, can only help improve coverage of Indian issues.
  
• Develop relationships with reporters. "Take the reporter to lunch," McAuliffe said. "Tribes have a diplomatic role in history -- why not in media, too?" Take time to educate reporters. When they make mistakes, let them try again.
  
• Take complaints to the editor. "Reporters listen to editors," McAuliffe said. Also, he pointed out, reporters and editors may not be aware of mistakes simply because no one bothered to tell them.

How media can improvecoverage of Indian issues:

• Become educated on Indian issues. "We need to treat Indian stories as seriously as we treat state department stories," McAuliffe said. Reporters should do their homework and learn about things like sovereignty, tribal governments and treaty rights. Also, reporters should be willing to learn from their mistakes. "If you make a mistake in a story about Indians, and they tell you you got it wrong, you should use that as an opportunity," he added. "Don't give up."
  
• Create an Indian beat. Expecting a general assignment reporter to effectively cover Indian stories is a mistake. "Indian issues are among the most complicated in the world," McAuliffe said.
  
• Avoid the most common failings of Indian coverage. According to McAuliffe, these are: 1. Treating Indians as problem people; 2. Consigning Indians to history; and 3. Not taking Indians seriously.
  
• Use Indian sources. Get both sides of the story, instead of just using the "easy," non-Indian sources. Tribal leaders are often busy, so look for other sources. When phone calls aren't returned, try harder. Tell them you want to include their perspective in your story.
  
• Get the story right. Earn trust by listening carefully and being accurate. "Reporters who are granted access to a tribe need to listen," McAuliffe said. "That chance may not come again.

J-school being evaluated byregional trade organization

Four representatives of the PacificNorthwest Newspaper Association are on campus this week, March1-3, to evaluate the School of Journalism's program and successat turning out students well-prepared for newspaper jobs.

PNNA is a trade organization of about 60 papers published in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon,Alaska, Utah and British Columbia. Along with promoting the newspaper industry in the region, PNNA evaluates journalism schools and provides financial support to those that uphold its high standards.

The organization's last visit to UM was in 1993, which resulted in a positive report and PNNA support.

PNNA team members visiting UM are: Paul Emerson, editor of the Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune; Jim Strauss, editor of the Great Falls Tribune; Rebecca Nappi,interactive editor at the Spokesman-Review; and Andy Perdue, news editor at the Tri-City (Washington) Herald.

On Monday, March 1,the team will meet with J-school faculty. On Tuesday, members will sit in on classes and meet with Provost Robert Kindrick, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jim Flightner and Missoulian editor Mike McInally. The team also will meet with students. On Wednesday, the team will continue to visit classes and will join faculty for lunch before departing Missoula.

Team members will compile a report based on their findings, which will be provided to the PNNA board and to UM.

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