Five American Indian journalists and professors held a discussion Tuesday night, speaking on the role of American Indians in the news media.

The program, held at the Asian American Cultural Center, featured cultural preservationist Jerry Clown and freelance journalist Rita Pyrillis, both of the Minneconjou Lakota Tribe. Clown and Pyrillis are guests-in-residence at the Intersection’s living-learning community at the Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Halls.

Pyrillis is a freelance journalist who has worked at the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek and United Press International. She currently works at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where she teaches a course on American Indians and the media. Throughout her professional career she’s struggled to break through stereotypes about American Indians and has been disappointed by the minimal and predictable news coverage she’s seen of American Indian issues, she said.

“If reporters do a little bit more homework and spend a little bit more time understanding Natives’ struggles, or those of whatever community they are covering, I think they would see more in-depth coverage,” Pyrillis said. “But I think there is just a fear and misunderstanding of Native communities so that people just don’t take that extra step.”

Topics brought up included the balance of Freedom of Speech and tribal sovereignty, the formulaic coverage of most American Indian news stories and ways journalists an improve their reporting of American Indian issues.

While the title of the discussion was “More than the Chief: Native Issues and the News,” the topic of discussion continually returned to Chief Illiniwek and the use of American Indian sports team names. Several panelists gave their opinions on the Chief Illiniwek controversy, and significant discussion was dedicated to the use of nicknames, like the Washington Redskins, on sports pages.

“Whether we like it or not, that’s the formal name of the team,” said Margaret Holt, senior editor for standards at the Chicago Tribune and a panelist. “That’s an issue.”

Faculty members Tony Clark and John McKinn also sat on the panel. Clark said he thinks American Indians are lumped together by the news media and offered suggestions of how news outlets could improve their coverage. McKinn discussed his experience as a copy editor and reporter.

“I came to understand that there was an absence of not only Indians in the media, but also of an Indian perspective,” McKinn said.

The Department of Journalism, American Indian Studies department and Living-Learning Communities sponsored the program, which was one event in a weeklong list of programs. The next event is a showing of “Riding with Ghosts,” a documentary on spirituality, Wednesday at 9 p.m. at PAR.

Embracing the increasingly diverse nature of American society will lead to better journalism in general, not only when covering American Indians, Holt said.

“We all have to grow beyond ourselves,” he said. “No matter what your ethnic background is, you have to find people who are not like you because they have stories to tell.”