A little background before we get to the interview though. I spent about 2 years working for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe as a web developer. I am also a Coeur d’Alene Tribal Member. With this 10 questions segment I am going to focus on one of what is approximately 200+ Native Media outlets The ‘Council Fires’. In this interview I ask Jennifer DeGraffenried 10 questions about Native Media in general and the ‘Council Fires’. I hope you all enjoy this and learn something about a topic that isn’t touched on enough.

How long have you been working for the Council Fires?

I’ve been employed full time since September of 2003; but I’ve been working with the Council Fires since I was a junior in High School, so almost 10 years.

What is the most enjoyable part of your job?

I really enjoy taking photos. One summer while I was on staff, I was given a majority of the photography responsibilities and discovered how much I loved it (which is also when I learned to develop black and white film.) That fall I promptly went to my advisor and changed my college major to visual communications which would allow me to take photography classes.

What are some of the issues that are causing problems for Native American Media?

I think there is this preconceived notion that Native media is automatically biased, that they’ll always try to show the tribal issues in a positive light, which, in turn, makes people think we’re not a legitimate source for news, and that’s unfair. Many reporters for Tribal media are good journalists who write the facts and don’t try to sway the reader to feel a certain way about the topic. Although there are always reporters who are out to paint the light a certain way, I believe that a majority are out there just trying to be good journalists.

How do you feel about the Tribe owning the Council Fires?

I feel fine about it, I really don’t think there are any other options for our paper.

How does the tribe owning the council fires affect what is in the paper?

For me it has no affect, I cover and write stories dealing with the tribe and its many facets unbiasedly. Which is the sole reason we are here, to cover tribal news. I know some people would like more coverage from other tribes, but that is why there is a national Native News organization (Indian country) they cover the broad spectrum while we deal with the local.

How will on-line media effect Native American Media organizations?

Hopefully positively. I’m hoping for the Council Fires to eventually be available on-line through the tribal website. I think it will give more people a chance to learn about the Coeur d’Alene tribe and the events that we are involved in. Our tribe gets limited coverage nationally, not many people know who we are, if the Coeur d’Alene Council Fires goes on-line I believe we will be able to reach a broader base of people who are truly interested in tribal issues.

Out of the following items what is the most important and why? Distribution, Content, or Conversation

For me it would be content. If your paper doesn’t have interesting stories then what’s the point of reading it or even publishing it? The community looks at us to provide a deeper look into the stories they’ve heard about on the streets, that’s why we have subscribers. If they want to know more about, say, the General membership meetings, council meetings or what our leaders are doing in D.C., they look at us to provide that information for them, if we didn’t I believe we’d lose a lot of readers.

What would you say to encourage a teenager or college student to work for a tribal media organization?

It’s very different than a daily newspaper, with a tribal paper you are involved in EVERY aspect of that tribe, especially a small paper like us who has a limited staff. If you’re one of three people on staff (like me), you have to be more involved in what the tribal departments are doing. Unlike a daily newspaper where most reporters are assigned to specific beats (politics, entertainment, sports) a tribal paper like the Council Fires allows you to cover ALL aspects of the news. You get to cover the politics one day, and the next you may be attending a charity event, or covering a basketball tournament. Small tribal media outlets allow you to get your feet wet in every aspect of the news, not just one section.

Where do you see Native Media in say 5 years and why?

Hopefully more people will be turning to us for their sole source of information regarding those tribes. I think Native Media is edging it’s way into peoples everyday source of news. Sights like Indianz.com are growing in popularity because many people (native and non-native alike) are curious about what Tribes are doing, and what better way to find out than to go directly to the source?

Is there anything else you would like to add that I may not have asked and you think people will find it important?

Nope, but if I think of anything I’ll let you know.