The USA’s indigenous peoples have long been struggling for their civil rights and freedom of speech. Only 5 out of 547 recognised tribes have been granted freedom of the press – and now even that is under threat.
When one of the unsuccessful candidates for tribal chief challenges the election results, the Mvskoke Nation is stripped of its right to operate independent media. Mvskoke Media’s local newsroom loses its independence overnight, becoming a politically controlled periodical. To show their opposition, the majority of the editorial team, made up mainly of the tribe’s citizens, resign their positions. The editor-in-chief and her team battle for freedom of the press for Native Americans, at the same time helping to reveal the corruption in community politics and the unresolved issue of its influence on independent journalism.