Oppenheimer Symposium Will Explore Freedom of the Press in Indian Country
March 18, 2024
MOSCOW, Idaho — Documentary filmmakers Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler, who co-directed the award-winning film “Bad Press,” will be the keynote speakers for University of Idaho’s annual Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium.
The film will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, 508 S. Main St. in Moscow. The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers and tribal journalist Angel Ellis. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted for the Indigenous Journalists Association.
The documentary focuses on Ellis’ fight to restore guarantees of freedom of the press within her tribe after the Muscogee Nation’s government repealed its landmark Free Press Act in 2018. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023 and won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression.
“Access to accurate and ethical reporting about Indigenous people and communities is necessary to overcome biases and stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media,” Landsberry-Baker said. “Accurate news and information are essential to an educated citizenry and healthy democracy. ‘Bad Press’ tells the story of my fellow Muscogee citizens exercising tribal sovereignty by holding elected officials to account and participating in the elections process.”
Earlier that day, Landsberry-Baker, executive director of the Indigenous Journalists Association, will lead a panel discussion with representatives of Inland Northwest tribes. That session will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Whitewater Room at the Idaho Student Union Building, as part of the Malcolm Renfrew Interdisciplinary Colloquium.
“All Americans — not just residents of sovereign tribal nations — have a stake in the ability of journalists to cover tribal, state and national issues,” said Kenton Bird, co-founder of the Ethics Oppenheimer Symposium and a professor emeritus in the U of I School of Journalism and Mass Media. “We can’t ignore restrictions on journalists, even if we don’t see their coverage on a regular basis.”
Since 2011, the symposium, sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Media, has brought nationally recognized journalists and media professionals to U of I. This is the first time the symposium will discuss ethical issues in documentary filmmaking.
“Documentary films have long been an important medium of ethics and accountability, and ‘Bad Press’ continues that tradition,” said Russ Meeuf, a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Media. “I’m excited for this year’s symposium to facilitate a discussion of press freedom but also to showcase a powerful work of documentary storytelling.”
The Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium’s goal is to promote professional responsibility and ethical behavior by journalists and other media professionals. The symposium is supported by U of I graduates Doug and Arthur “Skip” Oppenheimer of Boise, with additional support from the U of I Tribal Liaison Office, the Moscow Human Rights Commission and Idaho Public Television.
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Media Contacts
Kenton Bird
Professor Emeritus, School of Journalism and Mass Media
208-669-4080
kbird@uidaho.edu
Russ Meeuf
Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Media
208-885-7732
rmeeuf@uidaho.edu
Caitlin Cieslik-Miskimen
Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Media
208-885-8872
caitlinc@uidaho.edu
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to nearly 11,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu.