LOCATION: Johnson Center Cinema

Join the Visiting Filmmakers Series for a free screening of the new documentary BAD PRESS, followed by a live Q&A with filmmakers Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler and the film's subject, Angel Ellis.

An enthralling tale that unfurls with the energy and suspense of a political thriller, BAD PRESS is a timely and unprecedented story about the battle for freedom of the press and against state-censored media.

Imagine you lived in a world where your only reliable news source became government propaganda overnight. That’s exactly what happened to the citizens of the Muscogee Nation, the fourth largest Native American tribe, in 2018. 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Nation was one of only five to establish a free and independent press – until the tribe’s legislative branch abruptly repealed the landmark Free Press Act in advance of an election. The tribe’s hard-hitting news outlet, Mvskoke Media, would now be subject to direct editorial oversight by the tribal government. Journalist Angel Ellis fights back. Challenging the corrupt faction of the Muscogee National Council, Angel and her allies rally for press freedoms by inciting a voter-supported constitutional amendment, just in time for the start of a new election cycle.