{"id":32997,"date":"2023-10-17T09:36:27","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T13:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=32997"},"modified":"2023-10-17T09:39:54","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T13:39:54","slug":"montana-free-press-ict-debuts-native-news-bureau-in-montana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/10\/17\/montana-free-press-ict-debuts-native-news-bureau-in-montana\/","title":{"rendered":"Montana Free Press: ICT debuts Native news bureau in Montana"},"content":{"rendered":" <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/10\/17\/montana-free-press-ict-debuts-news-bureau-in-montana\/untitled-design-1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-32998\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" data-attachment-id=\"32998\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/10\/17\/montana-free-press-ict-debuts-native-news-bureau-in-montana\/untitled-design-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/17\/ICTMontana.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,675\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;SF&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Untitled design - 1&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ICT Montana\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;ICT Montana&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;ICT and University of Montana staff and representatives pose for a photo at the opening reception for ICT&amp;#8217;s new mountain bureau at the university\u2019s School of Journalism in Missoula on April 25, 2023. Photo courtesy ICT&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/17\/ICTMontana-1024x576.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/17\/ICTMontana.jpg\" alt=\"ICT Montana\"  class=\"size-full wp-image-32998\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">ICT and University of Montana staff and representatives pose for a photo at the opening reception for ICT&#8217;s new mountain bureau at the university\u2019s School of Journalism in Missoula on April 25, 2023. Photo courtesy ICT<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Native news service embraces challenges, opportunities of Montana bureau<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">The nonprofit ICT opened a bureau in Missoula earlier this year to focus on Native issues.<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Tuesday, October 17, 2023<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\"> By Katie Fairbanks <\/div>\r\n<DIV class=\"source\">Montana Free Press<\/DIV>\r\n<DIV class=\"source-website\"><A \r\nhref=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/\">montanafreepress.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAbout a year and a half ago when the nonprofit Native news service ICT was considering locations for a new regional bureau, Montana rose to the top.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nAlong with the state\u2019s 12 tribes living on and off seven reservations, Montana is the only state with the percentage of Indigenous representation in the Legislature exceeding the state\u2019s proportion of Native population, said Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, ICT editor.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nICT (formerly known as Indian Country Today) leaders chose Missoula for the new mountain bureau after Bennett-Begaye\u2019s discussion with University of Montana journalism professor Jason Begay, who pitched the idea, she said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cIt just felt right, overall, to have our bureau there,\u201d Bennett-Begaye said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nIn the approximately six months since it opened in the university\u2019s Don Anderson Hall, which houses the School of Journalism, mountain bureau staff has found both opportunities for and challenges to covering Indigenous communities in the region.<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jE2FcE0HLxw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">ICT: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/jE2FcE0HLxw>ICT opens Mountain Bureau<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nFor Bureau Chief Kolby KickingWoman, the new job presents an opportunity to dig into the Native communities of his home state.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cNatives are the largest minority in the state of Montana, so it\u2019s good to have representation here,\u201d he said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nThe <a href=\"https:\/\/ictnews.org\/news\/ict-opens-news-bureau-in-montana\">three-person bureau<\/a> has reached out to tribes in the state to let them know ICT wants to tell their communities\u2019 stories, KickingWoman said, although the large distance between Montana\u2019s tribes has been a challenge.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cBut I think one thing the pandemic taught us all, or forced a lot of people into, is just being able to cover things remotely,\u201d KickingWoman said. \u201cIt can be a challenge not to physically be in places like Fort Belknap or with tribes in eastern Montana, but there are opportunities where you can cover things remotely and still do it well.\u201d<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nThe mountain bureau also tracks tribal news in surrounding states, including Idaho and Colorado, and has communicated the same message of availability to them, KickingWoman said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nOpening the mountain bureau was part of ICT\u2019s plan to expand from two to nine news bureaus over the next three years, according to the nonprofit. Headquartered at Arizona State University in Phoenix, the organization also has bureaus in Anchorage and Washington, D.C.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nExpanding to multiple locations across the country has been a long-time dream for ICT leaders and staff, Bennett-Begaye said. A larger footprint allows the organization to build relationships with communities and have a presence there, she said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cIt allows us to have reporters on the ground so we can have a local news approach, which is what makes ICT so unique,\u201d Bennett-Begaye said. \u201cEven though we&#8217;re a national organization, we approach it like local news, which allows us to build trust and rapport with Indigenous communities across the country.\u201d<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"fb-post\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/umjschool\/posts\/pfbid02orPK4Da1J2t5DN4h2PQrWokKwgpATdTmqckmR8gfHhhqSEuBUafQfcbZjiGC2m9Tl\" data-width=\"552\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block;\"><\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nEmploying Indigenous journalists to cover Native communities allows for more accurate and fair reporting, Bennett-Begaye said. Those with lived experiences have a deeper understanding of Native communities, their background and context, and familiarity with cultural protocols, she said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cThere are different values at hand that the larger group of Indigenous people share, but they understand each community, each nation is very different,\u201d Bennett-Begaye said of Native journalists. \u201cThey come with that knowledge and that helps provide nuance to the story. And they know the news.\u201d <P><\/P>\r\n\r\nDuring newsroom training, Bennett-Begaye tells non-Native journalists that even if a story is unfamiliar to them, that doesn\u2019t mean it is new, she said. For example, the history of Indian residential schools<strong> <\/strong>is something mainstream media outlets have recently covered like a new story, but Native people grew up knowing about it, she said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nKickingWoman, reiterating the importance of having Native voices tell Native stories, said news coverage of Indigenous communities often focuses on the negative.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cThere are so many positive and great things going on in tribal communities,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a lot of fun, too, to be able to tell these stories on behalf of tribes and Native people.\u201d<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nICT aims to create a career path in journalism for young people, especially Native students who don\u2019t see themselves in the media, by partnering with universities to house the bureaus, Bennett-Begaye said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cHopefully we can start going to schools and talking about the work we do \u2026 and get them (Native students) to think there\u2019s a place for them in this industry, and they can start with ICT,\u201d she said.<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nICT staff want to expand on the partnership with the University of Montana by teaching, holding panels or events and working more closely with students, Bennett-Begaye said. The organization hopes to expand the mountain bureau, along with opening several more across the country, but finding funding to hire more reporters is a challenge, she said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nWhile the Missoula team is \u201csmall but mighty,\u201d some things slip through the cracks, KickingWoman said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cI think one thing we\u2019ve always found at ICT, we do a lot with a smaller team,\u201d he said. \u201cWe do our best to cover as much as we can, but I hope we\u2019re able to expand to a number of reporters where less falls through.\u201d<P><\/P>\r\n\r\nThe mountain bureau is still \u201cpretty young,\u201d and its staff looks forward to letting people know it\u2019s here, KickingWoman said.<P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re still getting our feet on the ground, but I\u2019m really excited about this opportunity, \u2026 to get to tell their stories and just be here for the tribes,\u201d he said. \u201cHopefully we do them justice and tell their stories accurately.\u201d <P><\/P>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<HR><EM><a href=https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/author\/katie-fairbanks\/>Katie Fairbanks<\/a> is a freelance journalist based in Missoula. Katie grew up in Livingston and graduated from the University of Montana School of Journalism. After working as a newspaper reporter in North Dakota, Katie worked as a producer for NBC Montana&#8217;s KECI station, followed by five years as a health and local government reporter in Longview, Washington<\/em><HR>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The nonprofit ICT opened a news bureau in Montana in 2023 to focus on Native issues.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,1],"tags":[129,3588,3800,243,249,194,102],"class_list":["post-32997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-national","tag-ict","tag-jourdan-bennett-begaye","tag-kolby-kickingwoman","tag-media","tag-montana","tag-montana-free-press","tag-youth","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/17\/ICTMontana.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-8Ad","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}