Brandon Ecoffey
A note from the editor’s desk
By Brandon Ecoffey In the world of journalism, praise is limited, and critiques are a dime a dozen. It is a simple reality of our field and you will not last long if you cannot allow some of the criticism to motivate you to be better and the rest to roll off your back. This past week however, the team at LCT was blessed with some well-deserved accolades that show just how far this weekly local paper has come. Each year Native news outlets from around the country enter their work in to a newspaper contest hosted by the Native American Journalists Association. Once received by NAJA everyone’s work is judged by outside entities who determine which papers, journalists, photographers, and graphic designers are the best in the Native news industry. This year when the results rolled in Lakota Country Times essentially dominated the divisions that comprise what a quality newspaper is. Two specific categories where Lakota Country Times took home the first place prize was in General Excellence and the other in Best Print Layout. Although this award is primarily the result of the work of Jason, Jenni, and Faith in the layout room the win in these categories is a demonstration of the professional and reliable work environment that exists at LCT. Although I have written for multiple news outlets across Indian Country, the difference between LCT and the rest is that the work done here is not carried out with the bottom dollar as the motivation. Each week we see our competitors across the country investing valuable resources in to the packaging of products that are filled with news that is not relevant to our people living on reservations because the ultimate goal of our competitors is advertising dollars and/or internet fame. The product that we are delivering at Lakota Country Times is created with the reader in mind and we understand that our primary readership is made up of our own people. This understanding drives us to create a professional and reliable product that the people can trust. Although this is not a new notion in our business it is a principle that has been pushed aside by those whose soul concern is cementing their own personal legacy and bringing in profit. The recognition that LCT has received from the Native American Journalists Association is a reminder to us that work performed from the perspective of service can be creative, it can be powerful, and it can be done while helping advance the cause of our Native Nations. In the next few months LCT is going to continue to evolve as a local paper and as a national force in the Native news industry. We look forward to bringing you an ever improving product and we thank you for your commitment to us each week. Brandon Ecoffey is the editor of LCT and an award winning journalist who was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter. Related Stories:
Lakota Country Times: Newspaper takes home top honors at NAJA (7/2)
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