Reznet

It Pays to Be a Pest

By By Michael Krueger

VERMILLION, S.D.—A veteran reporter spoke Wednesday of newsrooms needing Native journalists who can write about anything but at the same time do it in their own voice.

Kay Humphrey's remarks to aspiring journalists were part of a message that they play an important role as Native writers in a long history of storytelling.

"Find your voice," she told students of the American Indian Journalism Institute, "and avoid writing that pays by the word."

Humphrey, a former staff writer for Indian Country Today and a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe, added, "We need writers who have a broad perspective."

Humphrey said she began her career in journalism during her freshman year of college in Fayetteville, Ark., working as a radio reporter. Radio stations, she said, taught her to write in a condensed style and prepared her for newspaper writing.

"Be a pest," she said in describing how to be a tenacious reporter.

Humphrey emphasized the importance of fairness for all ethnicities. She pointed out that native journalists don't necessarily have to write about Native issues.

"If you change one person's life for the better, you already did your job," said Humphrey. She warned students that fame does not come suddenly and that one should not get into the profession solely for the attention.

Rummaging Through the Trash

"Sometimes (stories) find you," said Humphrey about covering the news.

Humphrey spoke of rummaging through the trash that city officials threw away to find story leads early in her career.

She took the crowd back to her early days of newswriting by describing a time when she met one of the last black women who worked on a cotton plantation in the South. The story, she said, was one she had not planned to write but did.

"What seems like routine (stories) can turn into a rich piece," she said. "You run into things you never expect."

Humphrey, one of few American Indian female journalists in the media, said she is working on research projects and a photography book.

Asked by the students what was her biggest reward in being a journalist, Humphrey said, "I made a difference."

Anna Old Elk reported the following:

VERMILLION, S.D.—Being a step ahead in the newsroom means you have the upper hand, a Native American reporters told aspiring journalism students here Wednesday.

"If you're a quiet and controlled person when you walk through the door, and then you unleash, they will get the message," said Kay Humphrey, former Indian Country Today reporter.

Humphrey, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, shared her stories and experiences with the students at the American Indian Journalism Institute.

Stage Fright

Humphrey, the first female journalist to address the institute this year, told students to be firm and determined in doing their job both inside and outside the newsroom.

"There are going to be times when you have to stand your ground and move in," said Humphrey. "When I first started, (I had) stage fright."

She has worked with various newspapers in Arkansas, Virginia and New York. She began her media career as a radio reporter when she was a freshman in college. For a reporter, the difference between radio and newspapers is that "you have to tell the story in a single paragraph," she said.

During her early years, Humphrey was asked to cover a number of stories that seemed to be on the "lighter side," she said.

"They wanted me to cover social events and work for the Society section, which was geared more toward women and included recipes and stories about debutants and balls," she said.

But Humphrey said she was not satisfied and confronted her editors, insisting she was capable of covering hard news. It was almost as if she had to prove herself to show that "gender didn't matter," she said.

Black Dress and Pearls

"A black dress with a string of pearls and a smile does work wonders," Humphrey said. And although it may sound sexist, she said, you have to do what you have to do in order to show that you aren't afraid to cover hard news.

Humphrey was able to prove to her editors that she could be successful covering news stories. She wrote about fires and tornadoes, and even dug through the trash of city council members to scoop her competitors, she said.

"I came from aggressive markets where I was supposed to do that (step up) everyday," said Humphrey.

Throughout her presentation, Humphrey gave many tips on how to be successful and aggressive. She said you can't be afraid to get your shoes dirty. To become an expert, you must have a broad perspective and accumulate a wide range of experiences, she said.

Humphrey also said you must not settle for one paper when you have choices. "You want to find the best place for yourself," she said.

"Every change is a painful change," Humphrey said. "Understand that all the changes happen for a reason."

Michael Krueger (Navajo) and Anna Old Elk (Crow) attend The Freedom Forum's American Indian Journalism Institute. Krueger is a student as the University of New Mexico-Gallup, and Old Elk is a student at Montgomery College in Rockville, Md.