Standing Rock and the Media

The Standing Rock movement has become historic not only in its size and message, but in how that message was delivered. This is the first time in history that Native American people took control of their own narrative using such a massive medium as social media. Both mobile technology and social media have made it possible for Native Americans to speak directly to massive audiences worldwide and that has come with both benefits and difficulties. About the Lecturer: Jason Begay is an associate professor at the University of Montana School of Journalism where he teaches the Native News Honors Project, a 25-year-old endeavor in which students cover news trends throughout Montana’s seven reservations and 12 tribes. He is a 2002 graduate of the program and has written for the New York Times, the Oregonian and the Navajo Times. He is a former president of the Native American Journalists Association and board member for UNITY Journalists for Diversity