Tribes around the country fund and operate news and information services. The websites, radio stations and newspapers can provide critical information to members, especially in rural areas lacking robust media coverage.
But these publications are often intertwined with tribal governments through funding and management. It’s a situation that can limit unbiased coverage, according to Willa Powless. She's a Klamath Tribes council member and the tribe's public relations director..
“It's government-run media by design,” Powless said. “It doesn't investigate its own government because it is its own government essentially.”
Powless has called for codified free press protections that separate her tribal government from its news site, guaranteeing editorial independence. The issue has gained traction among tribal communities after the release of the documentary Bad Press, which follows efforts to pass similar protections for the Oklahoma’s Muscogee Nation. Powless brought a screening to the Klamath Tribes recently.
Only a handful of tribes have passed laws guaranteeing press protections for tribal media.
“We have no editorial independence from government, so essentially tribal council can review and approve all articles before they're published,” Powless said.
She wouldn’t say there is censorship of the tribe’s news. But there is selective coverage, she explained.
“The stories that are being told are stories that the government's asking to be covered,” Powless said.
Those are stories that generally highlight accomplishments by the tribe. But she said there is room for more critical investigations. One example she gave was the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, which negotiated the removal of dams along the Klamath River. Tribal coverage of the contentious issue was largely positive.
Not everyone thinks press protections for tribal-run media is a good idea. In the documentary Bad Press, critics of the free-speech law argue it could guarantee funding — and jobs — to a biased editorial team. It was a similar argument used to end federal funding for National Public Radio last year.
Powerless thinks an independent media would benefit members. That could start with something as small as covering tribal meetings.
“I think it would be an eye opener for people to really see what's happening behind the scenes, but also learn more about their tribal government,” she said. “It would also help dispel rumors and gossip too.”
