By DION RABOUIN
The UNITY News

While mainstream newspapers are laying off large numbers of staff and producing smaller papers, Native American tribal newspapers are doing just the opposite – increasing their staff, exploring new revenue sources and publishing more often. According to the Cherokee Phoenix, the Yakama Nation Review and the Native American Times, these efforts are all in hopes of better covering issues effecting Native people.
Relatively new compared to some mainstream newspapers, the tribal publications have been able to grow steadily by hiring journalists and staff members able to perform multiple functions – making it easier to set aside money for new hires.

The Yakama Nation Review has been in publication since 1970, the Native Times since 1994, and while the Cherokee Phoenix was first published in 1828, it has only been published continuously since 1977.
“I can’t tell you exactly how much our budget has grown, but I can tell you it has,” said John Shurr, a former Associated Press bureau chief, who now sits on The Phoenix’s editorial board. “We’ve gone from a quarterly publication six years ago to a monthly publication and are still primarily funded by the tribe.”

The Phoenix, based in Tahlequah, Okla., has almost doubled its staff – going from seven employees in 2003 to the current staff of 12.

The Yakama Nation Review has seen steady growth at the paper in a way many mainstream newspapers have not – through advertising.

“We see the need to expand staff-wise and currently we’ve been able to do that by generating that revenue ourselves through advertising,” said Ronnie L. Washines, multimedia program administrator at the Nation Review.

“There’s a perception that all tribes are doing well in gaming, but it’s on a tribe-by-tribe basis,” Wachines said. “In our situation we still have to depend upon ourselves to maintain our existence.”
The Toppenish, Wash., bimonthly paper projects advertising revenue of $45,000 – a jump more five times the amount from last year’s $8,000.

But while others are experiencing growth, some have had to find creative ways to be financially solvent.
At the Tulsa, Okla.-based Native American Times, which is published independently without financial assistance from a tribe, co-publisher and co-founder Liz Gray has had to find new and different ways to bring in revenue – like job ads – for the paper.

“When our display ad revenue went down we focused more on classified ads,” Gray said.  “There are a lot of people hiring now in Indian country – in casinos – so that has helped us a lot.”
The Times has created other new sources of revenue, including operating Native American job fairs and publishing a powwow guide.

topic: Industry Issues
tags: native american, newspaper, publications

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