The award-winning, Muscogee Nation-set documentary Bad Press is a powerful and timely reminder of the importance of freedom of the press.
Directors: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker & Joe Peeler
Genre: Documentary
Run Time: 98′
US Release: September 1, 2024
UK Release: TBA
Where to watch: on the Criterion Channel
Bad Press begins with a shocking statistic: of the 574 federally recognised Native American tribes in the USA, only five have laws protecting the freedom of the press. It’s a stat that shocks residents of the Muscogee Nation (where Bad Press is set), those living in other tribes, and the viewers watching. From there, directors Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler take us further into a spiralling abyss of bribery, lies, and dictatorial political control, which all threaten America’s (supposedly) democratic core.
At the centre of the storm in Bad Press is Mvskoke Media, the sole news outlet of the Muscogee Nation. In 2018, just three years after its passage, the “Free Press Act” was repealed by the Muscogee Government. It was a movement that sent shockwaves through the tribe, which with a population of around 100,000 people is one of the largest in the USA. As we witness these events unfold in Bad Press, it quickly becomes clear that just because this action was clearly and fundamentally so wrong, the government control went so deep that it proved very hard for citizens or even other politicians to fight it.
Step forward Angel Ellis and her colleagues at Mvskoke Media, including Jerrad Moore and Jason Salsman, who took up the mantle to tackle those in power head on. It is difficult to put into words how much worse the situation becomes in Bad Press, and how difficult the fight transpires to be. At times it feels fictional, such is the scarcely believable way in which the government acted so recently, but there is no fiction here, only dangerous reality. Bad Press perfectly captures the deeply emotional reaction from the Native Americans of the Muscogee Nation; freedom of the press is vital for any country anywhere in the world, but for these peoples, it becomes even more important after centuries of mistreatment and discrimination.
Slick camerawork and fast-paced editing reflect the urgency of Bad Press and the story it tells; there is barely a moment’s rest in this dynamic documentary. For the most part, this is a strength, but the restless energy sometimes means Landsberry-Baker and Peeler don’t always dig deep enough. Much of Bad Press, however vital and engrossing it is, feels surface-level, which is perhaps an inevitability considering how much it covers over the course of its nifty 98-minute runtime. However, Bad Press generally does a good job at being educational enough, giving suitable background to the events and contextualising the Muscogee Nation and its citizens against the backdrop of America.
The host of awards Bad Press picked up before its wider release, which included the Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression at Sundance, very clearly signals its importance. As a Muscogee director, Landsberry-Baker’s contribution to her own nation with this scintillating, eye-opening documentary cannot be underestimated. Perhaps it could do more legwork and give the audience a little bit more detail, but as a fiery snapshot of a recent political struggle, Bad Press is faultless.
As one citizen says, free press is a basic human right, so it is particularly terrifying when we witness firsthand Muscogee politicians trying to take it away. Bad Press is keen to highlight that such a struggle, which ultimately brings a citizens’ vote on a constitutional amendment, only brings about change in the Muscogee Nation. Other tribes in America need the same fight and inspiration that Angel Ellis and others give so unwaveringly.
Bad Press will be released on Criterion Channel on September 1, 2024.
