"Publisher Tom Arviso argued a government shouldn't run a newspaper. And in an extraordinary show of support, Navajo Nation leaders agreed.

The nation agreed two years ago to grant the Navajo Times its independence and passed a resolution to invest a half-million dollars to establish the Navajo Times Publishing Co., a private news enterprise.

Unfortunately, Arviso - the company's CEO - has one of the few success stories in Indian Country where a tribe-owned newspaper broke its ties with the tribal government.

A free and independent press in Indian Country remains one of the most important - but least discussed - topics among tribal leaders. Most seem content to keep tribal papers around as public relations tools."

Get the Story:
Jodi Rave: Press isn't always free in Indian Country (The Rapid City Journal 8/13)

Relevant Links:
Jodi Rave Lee - http://www.missoulian.com/jodirave

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