NPM: Our Voices-Our Stories-Our Network
June 18, 2013

Native Public Media: Our Voices-Our Stories-Our Network
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THE 4 PILLARS OF NPM

Native Public Media values forging tribal centric solutions to Native communications needs and over the past seven years concentrated on four quadrants of service to Native media makers and communities:

Community Engagement

Providing Native Communities with the Access, Knowledge and Resources to Ensure that Native Americans Have a Voice to Fully Participate and Benefit From the Information Age.

Digital Ecology

Creating A Digital Footprint For Media Growth In Indian Country.

Storytelling

Providing Information, Technical Support and Training to Build a Solid National Communications System in Indian Country.

Policy

Producing proactive programs of policy analysis, representation and education, NPM works to secure a voice for Native America among policy-making bodies and among the media democracy movement, promoting greater access and larger audiences for Native American voices.




About NPM

Our name "Native Public Media" reflects the organization’s explicit vision to empower Native people across the United States to participate actively in all forms of media and to do it on our own terms. Media has a vital role to play in supporting tribal economic and community development and is tied directly to the Nation building efforts of sovereign Tribes.

Native Public Media’s mission is to promote healthy, engaged and independent Native Communities through media access, control and ownership.

Native Public Media achieves its mission by engaging, empowering, building and serving Native American communities by focusing on four competency areas. They are:

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Native Public Media’s Signature Programs draws on our strengths in our four competency areas and describes our work on the ground directly with Native communities to achieve our mission. Our Signature Programs are rooted in Native American history, arts, language and culture.

The Media Excellence Program

The Media Excellence Program is designed to bridge the media and digital divides through the offering of intersecting Programs.
  • Digital Journalism and Storytelling Intensive. An annual summer course for Native media makers to learn and apply media and journalism skills in ways that benefit Native communities. Participants learn how the platforms of print, video, audio, new media, and more can be effectively and creatively employed to tell important stories; including practical skills such as equipment use, digital editing and production, basic reporting techniques, and best practices that journalists and citizen storytellers face when employing new media in their reporting work and while engaging new technologies that will empower themselves and their communities with voice. This intensive encourages the Native American perspective and storytelling in tribal languages.
  • The Annual Native Media Summit. An annual gathering of Native Media makers with the goal to expand the capacity and service of Native Radio System by enabling its leaders to network and learn from each other and to deliver training and information that is especially pertinent to the growth and sustainability of Native media system serving Indian Country.
  • Station Services. A service dedicated to station compliance with Federal Communication Commission regulatory requirements and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which requires recipients of Community Service Station grants to certify their continued compliance with the requirements of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended; including audited financial compliance, community advisory boards, Equal Employment Opportunity, and political activities donor list requirements. NPM’s service is non-legal in nature. NPM also provides emergency station compliance intervention service.
  • Native Media Landscape Report. The first comprehensive report of the Native Media landscape conducted by NPM and the Open Technology Initiative at the New America Foundation. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the Native media ecosystem including radio, television, print and new media.

Policy Program

NPM advocates for progressive policies and regulations that encourage the expansion and strengthening of Native public media through mediums and platforms that are truly community-based, local, and democratic. With a proactive program of policy analysis, representation and advocacy, NPM works to secure a voice for Native America among policy-making bodies and among the media democracy movement, promoting greater access and larger audiences for Native American voices.

1. Advocate for effective policies and regulations nationally to promote the strengthening and expansion of terrestrial radio, Internet and low-power FM, and the introduction of new platforms and technologies.

2. Educate Native nations, tribal organizations and media democracy allies to consider the impact on Tribal nations of proposed policies and rulemaking.

3. Prepare Native nations to take advantage of technology and other resource opportunities.

4. Engage Native communities in First Amendment, media reform policy, and media ownership and prepare for greater collaboration during times of action.

Partnerships

Native Public Media achieves its work through partnerships with Native Radio System, Native media makers, Tribal leaders, industry, government, allies, and the corporate and non-profit sector.