American Indian Journalism Institute

University of South Dakota

Jun 5, 2005 - Jun 24, 2005

All sessions of the American Indian Journalism Institute are open to the media. Coverage of nine guest presentations is especially welcome. The following presentations are scheduled to be held in the Freedom Forum Conference Room at the Al Neuharth Media Center, 555 Dakota St., Vermillion, S.D. Times are an approximation of when speaking presentations will begin. Call in advance for updates and changes.
• Sunday, June 5, 7:30 p.m.: Ron Walters, former executive director of the Native American Journalists Association.
• Tuesday, June 7, 7 p.m.: Victor Merina, senior fellow, Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism.
• Wednesday, June 8, 7 p.m.: Chuck Trimble, former executive director of the National Congress of American Indians and founder of the American Indian Press Association.
• Monday, June 13, 7 p.m.: Al Neuharth, founder of the Freedom Forum and USA TODAY.
• Tuesday, June 14, 8 p.m.: Wilma Mankiller, former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
• Wednesday, June 15, 7 p.m.: Mary Kay Blake, senior vice president of the Freedom Forum.
• Monday, June 20, 7 p.m.: Margaret Holt, a senior editor for the Chicago Tribune.
• Wednesday, June 22, 7 p.m.: Jodi Rave, columnist and Native issues reporter for Lee newspapers.
• Friday, June 24, 12:30 p.m.: Graduation program and Jack Marsh, founding director of AIJI.

May 31, 2005
For immediate release

For further information, contact
Jack Marsh, executive director
Freedom Forum’s Al Neuharth Media Center
555 Dakota St.
Vermillion, S.D. 57069
e-mail jmarsh@freedomforum.org
605-677-6315 or cell 703-966-6615

26 students enrolled to attend American Indian Journalism Institute

Vermillion, S.D. -- Twenty-six Native college students from 11 states are enrolled to attend the fifth annual American Indian Journalism Institute, June 5-24, 2005, at the Al Neuharth Media Center on the University of South Dakota campus.

AIJI, a joint program of the Freedom Forum and USD, is the country’s largest college academic program for Native journalism students. AIJI teaches the fundamentals of good journalism in an intense four-credit course that concentrates on reporting, writing, photojournalism, ethics and professional standards. Students attend classes, receive practical experience in journalism labs, go on educational field trips and produce two editions of an institute newspaper, The Native Journal.

“AIJI is training the next generation of Native reporters, photographers and editors,” said the Freedom Forum’s Jack Marsh, who is founding director of AIJI and executive director of the Al Neuharth Media Center.

“The Freedom Forum is committed to improving employment diversity in daily newspapers. AIJI promotes journalism opportunities for Native Americans because they are the most under-represented group in the industry. At last count there were only 295 Natives among the 54,000 journalists working at daily newspapers.”

AIJI students come from 21 tribes. The Navajo Nation has the most representation with five students. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is next with three students. Other tribal affiliations are: Arikara, Blackfeet, Cherokee, Citizen Band Potawatomi, Colorado River, Colville, Crow, Ho-Chunk, Hoopa, Maya, Northern Cheyenne, Prairie Band Potawatomi, Salish, Santo Domingo Pueblo, Seminole, Sisseton-Wahpeton, Spirit Lake, Standing Rock Sioux and the Three Affiliated Tribes.

The AIJI visiting faculty includes 13 experienced and award-winning journalists: Ray Chavez, journalism professor, University of South Dakota; Steve Chin, new media specialist for the Maynard Institute; Michael Downs, journalism professor, University of Montana; Katja Elias, assistant metro editor of the Sioux Falls, S.D., Argus Leader; Bill Elsen, a former editor and recruiter for The Washington Post; Val Hoeppner, deputy photo director for the Indianapolis Star; Margaret Holt, a senior editor for the Chicago Tribune; Kelly Johnson, copy editor for The Oregonian in Portland; Jack Marsh, executive director of the Freedom Forum’s Al Neuharth Media Center; Dennis McAuliffe, University of Montana journalism professor and director of RezNetNews.org; Jodi Rave, columnist and Native issues reporter for Lee newspapers; Fred Sweets, a former senior photo editor for the Associated Press; and Clarence Williams, who won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize as a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times.

Several guest speakers will give presentations during AIJI: Mary Kay Blake, senior vice president of the Freedom Forum; Michael Gartner, former president of NBC News, veteran newspaper editor and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing; Victor Merina, senior fellow, Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism; Al Neuharth, founder of the Freedom Forum and USA TODAY; Wilma Mankiller, former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation; Chuck Trimble, former executive director of the National Congress of American Indians and founder of the American Indian Press Association; and Ron Walters, former executive director of the Native American Journalists Association. The presentations will be videotaped and televised later this year in a weekly series on South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

Sixteen AIJI graduates will work this summer as paid interns at different news organizations: Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Associated Press, Sioux Falls bureau; The Forum, Fargo, N.D.; Muskogee (Okla.) Daily Phoenix; St. Cloud (Minn.) Times; and at Lee newspapers in Billings, Mont., Tucson, Ariz., and elsewhere.

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