Native American journalists make up fewer than 1 percent of newsroom employees
This week, hundreds of Native American journalists from across the country met in the Twin Cities for a national conference about the work they do and the challenges they face when erasing stereotypes about indigenous people.
There are approximately 2.6 million tribal citizens who belong to 573 federally recognized tribal nations in about 37 states.
Yet fewer than 1 percent of all U.S. newsroom employees are Native American, according to 2018 data from the American Society of News Editors. (There are none in the MPR newsroom.)
Two journalists who were in town for the Native American Journalists Association joined the program to talk about how indigenous people are portrayed by the mainstream media. They were also joined by Crystal Echo Hawk, who has studied the way non-Native people portray indigenous people in this country.
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Guests:
Crystal Echo Hawk, executive director of IllumiNative. She was the project leader for one of the largest public-opinion research projects about Native Americans ever conducted, called Reclaiming Native Truth. She is a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.
Graham Lee Brewer, contributing tribal affairs editor at High Country News. He is also a Native American Journalists Association board member and citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
Ramona Marozas, producer at KBJR Channel Six News in Duluth. She is also a Native American Journalists Association board member and a member of the Bad River Band of Chippewa.
Use the audio player above to listen to the program.