Arts Management and Technology Laboratory Free Press, Bad Press, and the Muscogee Nation: A Conversation with Filmmakers
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, host Luna Lu speaks with Bad Press co-directors Rebecca Lansberry-Baker and Joe Peeler, alongside journalist and film subject Angel Ellis, about the making of their Sundance 2023 award-winning documentary. The conversation explores how the team came together, the ethical and creative challenges of documenting press censorship within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and the tension between tribal sovereignty and press freedom. Through Angel Ellis's experience as a journalist turned whistleblower, the episode highlights the vital role of independent Indigenous media, transparency, and civic participation, while also reflecting on trust, community-based storytelling, and the power of individuals to effect democratic change.
Speical thanks to Stephan Caspar, Dept of Languages, Cultures, and Applied Linguistics, Professor Anne Lambright, and CAS Center for Arts in Society, and all the students and staff at CMU who supported this event!
SHOW NOTES
Bad Press (Official Film Website)