A panel of experts at the afternoon session of the Brite Symposium blamed the mainstream media for problems with sensitivity and media stereotyping of American Indians.

The symposium was held in Meacham Auditorium with David Craig, associate professor of journalism, as the moderator and included panelists Suzan Shown Harjo from Indian Country Today, Jim Gray, principal chief of the Osage Nation, Acee Agoyo of www.Indianz.com, and George Benge of Gannett Inc.

It is hard to understand why American Indians are treated differently, Agoyo said. This treatment is a result of mainstream media.

"In order for that to change, mainstream media needs to change," Agoyo said. "It is up to the media to ask themselves why we are last."

As a columnist for Gannett News Service, the largest newspaper chain in terms of circulation in the country, Benge works to expand diversity in the Gannett newsrooms, he said.

"Unfortunately, too often those issues are not reported and if they are reported they are untrue or stereotypical," Benge said. "It is often easy to generalize.

"Stereotyping occurs because that is what they (the media) are taught to cover."

Stereotyping is a constant struggle for American Indians, Gray said.

"Basic questions are not asked," Gray said. "(The media) does not know that there is a question that has to be answered."

American Indians are not looked at as people who have a personal story to tell, Harjo said.

"Americans look at us as non complex human beings. We are complex, multi-layered human beings," Harjo said. "A lot of people are missing the Indian story because they don't know what they don't know."

Along with stereotyping, American-Indian issues are overlooked and forgotten, Harjo said.

"If we bring our language into who we are and into our humanity, they will not look at us as separate and apart," Harjo said.
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