Interior and Justice Departments Release Best Practices to Improve Media Coverage of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Cases

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice today published new guidelines and best practices to improve media coverage on the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT). The release comes as the Biden-Harris administration hosts the 2024 White House Tribal Nations Summit, which provides an opportunity for the Biden-Harris administration and Tribal leaders from the 574 federally recognized Tribes to discuss ways the federal government can invest in and strengthen nation-to-nation relationships as well as ensure that progress in Indian Country endures for years to come.    

American Indian and Alaska Native people are at a disproportionate risk of experiencing violence, murder, or going missing and make up a significant portion of the missing and murdered cases. These guidelines and best practices are intended to help journalists, family members, and Tribal and federal officials to better work together to raise awareness of individual cases and educate the public.  

The guidelines were developed following several conversations among federal representatives, advocates, and Not Invisible Act Commission members. The Departments also hosted a roundtable discussion, moderated by Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, attended by more than 200 participants, including journalists, survivors, community advocates, and Tribal and federal officials. The roundtable was a commitment made as part of the federal response to the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission – a federal advisory committee established by the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to recommend strategies for combatting violent crime on Indian lands and against American Indian and Alaska Native people.    

Among other items, the guidelines, encourage:

• Journalists to:  
  • Humanize victims
  • Establish relationships and trust with Native communities; and  
  • Be mindful of the specific language being used to frame MMIP cases.
     
• Family members, community members, Tribal leaders, and advocates to:
  • Use established channels for submitting information;  
  • Provide media with photography and other helpful creative assets; and  
  • Leverage social media.  
     
• Federal and Tribal law enforcement to:  
  • Consistently and promptly release information to the media on case information;
  • Provide media training for Public Information Officers and investigators; and  
  • Be proactive in reaching out to media outlets; see them as an asset in helping solve cases.

The Departments have worked diligently to be responsive to the Commission's recommendations. including through the strengthened partnership between Interior’s Missing and Murdered Unit and he Federal Bureau of Investigation on Operation Not Forgotten which has seen the two agencies work case specific investigations across Indian Country creating a surge of federal agents working to resolve MMIP cases.  

Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country. In August, the leaders visited New Mexico to discuss efforts to confront the MMIP and human trafficking crises with federal and Tribal leaders.  

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