The paucity of coverage of the Standing Rock protest in North Dakota stands as a particular shining example of the significant role media plays in what is deemed to be a priority in the news cycle and how certain types of issues are discussed. The media are frequently the framers of public discourse and they have the power to choose how much a story is covered, and the narrative attached to a particular news item.

In addition, networks have the daunting task of competing in a 24 hour news cycle that has largely become dependent on painful scandalous news to attract and retain their consumer audience while competing with social media as a news source.

The November 7th tea and talk will explore the role that media plays in the dissemination of, or the lack thereof, information on contemporary Indigenous issues as well as how these issues are framed and the sociocultural and political consequences of these choices on Indigenous people.

Monday, November 7th, in room 3F.43