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Without a free press how can our communities make decisions and uncover the truth? Bad Press follows one news outlet's fight to survive. When the elected leaders of the Muscogee Nation, the fourth largest Native American tribe, suddenly curb press freedom and give officials authority to edit all news stories before they reach the public, a rogue reporter fights to expose her government’s corruption in a historic battle that will have ramifications for all of Indian Country.

Synopsis

Overnight, and in advance of an election in 2018, the only reliable news source for citizens of the Muscogee Nation, the fourth largest Native American tribe, became state-censored media. Out of 574 federally recognized tribes, the Muscogee Nation was one of only five to establish a free and independent press, until the tribe’s legislative branch abruptly repealed the landmark Free Press Act in an attempt to muzzle the tribe’s hard-hitting news outlet. Defiant and foul-mouthed journalist Angel Ellis charges headfirst into a historic, and surprisingly funny, battle to restore her tribe’s press freedoms. An enthralling, edge-of-your-seat nail biter that unfurls with the energy and suspense of a political thriller, Bad Press is a timely and unprecedented documentary about a lone journalist fighting a corrupt system for her fellow citizens.

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Credits

Rebecca Landsberry-Baker (Muscogee Creek)

Director
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Rebecca Landsberry-Baker is an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the executive director of the Native American Journalists Association. She is a recipient of the 2018 NCAIED “Native American 40 Under 40” award and was selected to the Harvard Shorenstein News Leaders Fall 2022 cohort. Landsberry-Baker made her directorial debut with the documentary feature film, BAD PRESS, which was supported by the Sundance Institute, Ford Foundation JustFilms, NBC, and the Gotham. BAD PRESS premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and received the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression. The film was also recognized with the One in a Million Award from the 2023 Sun Valley Film Festival.

Joe Peeler

Director
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Joe Peeler is a Sundance award-winning director and editor whose work has appeared on NETFLIX, HBO, FX, ESPN, Hulu and CBS. Joe began his career apprenticing under legendary director Peter Bogdanovich, and from there edited Lucy Walker’s Academy Awards Shortlist documentary short The Lion’s Mouth Opens; multiple episodes of the Netflix original series Flint Town; and Margaret Brown’s SXSW premiere documentary short The Black Belt. Most recently, Joe co-directed BAD PRESS, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression.

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