Still of Jaden Hill from Bad Press (photo by Joe Peeler, all images courtesy Sundance Institute)
The new documentary Bad Press (2023) takes a deep dive into the trials and tribulations of freedom of press laws for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma through the eyes of Angel Ellis, a reporter for Mvskoke Media.
Although freedom of the press is enshrined in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, these rights do not apply to Indian Country (Native Nations & communities across the US). There are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes, each with tribal sovereignty and its own government. As sovereign nations, they make their own laws and constitution. Only five tribes, including the Muscogee Nation, have established laws that protect freedom of the press.
That is, until 2018 when Muscogee Nation government officials dealt with embezzlement accusations in a major election cycle. Although the tribal government passed a Free Press Act in 2015, it was repealed by the tribal government during that election. Mvskoke Media, the tribe’s only reliable source for news, was not consulted in this landmark decision and lost its right to independent journalism overnight. Ellis set out to seek justice for her community, rallying allies for a voter-supported constitutional amendment and exposing corruption in the local government.
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