New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council

Media Guidelines

Guidelines for Journalists Reporting on Missing Indigenous People 


From the Sharing Circles that we held with Indigenous community members, ongoing discussions with Indigenous media professionals, and journalism academics, the LOFEO leadership team began working with Terra Tailleur (University of King’s College) and Erin Moore (Nova Scotia Community College), whom we connected with at the media roundtable, to draft a set of reporting guidelines. We felt that putting the guidelines in a question format would be best to invoke critical thinking about the processes that journalists and media outlets use on gathering information, developing stories and the impacts of trauma. 

These Media Guidelines are a resource to assist journalists to be responsive to the needs of Indigenous missing persons and their loved ones. Some of the key takeaways are; media plays a huge role in reconciliation as media shapes people’s perceptions, cultural context is important for stories about Indigenous people, it’s important to use the right words, and reporters need to know the acceptable and unacceptable terms and language to use when referring to Indigenous people and communities. Being trauma informed is 

The hope is that these Guidelines will help journalists be more mindful of their process and the impact they have on families and result in accurate, human-centered stories gathered in a responsible way. The general approach when covering Indigenous peoples and communities should be one that highlights resourcefulness, resilience, and strength.

 
Download the Media Guidelines
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Videos

Looking our for each other

Michelle Perley

LOFEO Project Manager

Nic Meloney

Wolastoqi/Canadian Production Executive, CBC Unscripted

Trina Roache

Assistant Professor/Rogers Chair in Journalism, University of King’s College

Looking Out For Each Other Project Art Expression

Local Wolastoq artist Susan Sacobie created a piece of art to represent the Looking Out For Each Other project. She says:“This painting is for the missing and murdered Wolastoqiyik & Mi’kmak women that were almost forgotten. The five women in this piece represent knowledge, faith, wisdom, justice and peace. They are wearing our traditional peaked hats decorated with the double curve motifs. The wampum belt on the bottom is our promise to each woman that their lives will be remembered, celebrated, honoured. The wampum belt is also a promise to each Native woman that we have to rebuild our matriarchal standing within each of our families & communities. We must humble ourselves and learn and teach one another about who we are, where we come from and to not be silent and share our individual stories so we can empower our sisters, stay connected and strong and in turn we keep our families and communities strong. Their connecting shields are protecting us and reminding each of us that it is an obligation and a privilege to guard one another because we are all connected.  As mothers and daughters, the living as well as the women who crossed the rainbow bridge we have to tell ourselves and each other our lives matter, we are important and we have to love and respect each other unconditionally and stand together.” These words and the voices of Indigenous women will continue to guide the project.

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