Editorial: Indian views needed in news media

Wednesday, April 23, 2008  

"Many of the South Dakota stories that need to be told most urgently arise from our Indian reservations.

Journalists who have experienced the successes and failures and hopes and problems of reservation communities firsthand are uniquely qualified to tell those stories. A newsroom, whether for print, online or television journalism, is most effective and most credible when it truly reflects the community it serves. The shared experiences of a diverse group of men and women working together produce a depth and understanding that is difficult - maybe impossible - to achieve otherwise.

But Native Americans are underrepresented in America's mainstream news organizations, a fact that a relatively small group of high school students and working journalists will be trying to change as they gather this week at the Crazy Horse Memorial near Custer.

The Native American Journalism Career Conference, in its ninth year, is funded by the Freedom Forum and co-sponsored by the South Dakota Newspaper Association, the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation and the journalism programs at South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Diversifying the news (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 4/23)