Tribal transparency on shaky ground after media ban

Allegations made by a member of Cherokee Tribal Council against a Smoky Mountain News reporter have resulted in a ban on all non-Cherokee media from Tribal Council chambers.

The move marks a new chapter in Cherokee’s long struggle with transparency in government and the basic principles of a free and independent press. Those very principles, even though they’re still under attack by Tribal Council, demonstrate the importance of such institutions in any self-governing society, especially since the tribe’s own video footage of the meeting proves that the allegations against Smoky Mountain News’ Holly Kays are false.

http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/24547-tribal-transparency-on-shaky-ground-after-media-ban