About the film

Bad Press follows the journey of tenacious Muscogee reporter Angel Ellis as she fights to bring free press back after it was swiftly repealed on the eve of an election year for the Muscogee Nation. The election is full of twists and turns, and she refuses to leave the fate of free press to its outcome.

This documentary provides unparalleled insight into the inner workings of a modern Native American tribe, revealing a holistic look into the structure of its media, sovereignty, humor and elections that few audiences will have experienced before.

About the Speakers

The screening of BAD PRESS will be accompanied by a short talk given by filmmaker Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, reporter/film protagonist Angel Ellis, and Ohio University E.W. Scripps Master’s in Journalism Alum, public relations specialist, documentary reporter, and IJA member Sarah Liese.

Rebecca Landsberry-Baker

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.

Angel Ellis

Angel Ellis is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and has lived, worked, and played within the tribes’ reservation boundaries most of her life. Growing up, her heroes had press passes rather than capes. Ellis learned to read with a newspaper at the breakfast table with her grandfather, and the fascination never faded.

Ellis advocates for and educates on ethical coverage of Indigenous topics and communities.

Sarah Liese

Sarah Liese, MS (Navajo/Turtle Mountain Chippewa) is a public relations specialist at Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi. Previously, she was a 2022 Indigenous Non-Fiction Sundance Institute Fellow, researcher, and mitigation video specialist. She completed her Master of Science in Journalism at Ohio University in July 2022.While pursuing her master’s degree, she served as a Full Circle Fellow at the Sundance Institute, Native American Journalism Fellow and Mentor-In-Training at the Native American Journalist Association (renamed to the Indigenous Journalists Association), as well as a research assistant and teaching assistant at Ohio University. Her previous work focused on social media management, content creation and broadcast journalism.