News You Can Use: Leveraging Local Media to Advance Academic Research

A good source is hard to find. Sometimes researchers have to think outside the box of archival material and search beyond the academy for the information they need. Ryan Booth did just that when he looked to local media to help fill in some blanks in his source base. Booth, a Ph.D. candidate in history working with Dr. Peter Boag, is completing a dissertation focused on the U.S. Indian Scouts from 1866-1942. When his research took him to Fort Keogh in Miles City, Montana, he reached out not only to archivists but reporters and editors to raise awareness of his work and cast a line to anyone who might be in possession of previously unseen primary sources. The result was an article published January 7, 2019 in the Billings Gazette, but working with the writers of the first draft of history is different than approaching professional academics. Booth's efforts yielded some unexpected lessons and leads well worth repeating for other scholars. Below is an email exchange between Booth and Zach Hagadone, a second-year M.A. student with a background in journalism, exploring some of the ins and outs of leveraging local media to advance academic research. (Edited lightly for clarity and continuity.)

ZH: At what point in your research process did approaching local news media enter your mind? What materials were the typical source bases not delivering?

RB: For me, it came when I thought about how the individuals in my project left few written records behind. When I realized that I might have a very hard time finding an authentic voice of the U.S. Indian Scouts, I got a bit panicked and started to think about ways to capture these stories. My initial thought was with a national publication like Indian Country Today. I thought the exposure in a large, national newspaper would be the best approach. Although good for exposure, upon reflection, I am not sure I would’ve gotten nearly as many useful stories or leads on places to look for archival sources.

Ryan Booth

Had you ever considered using local media to further your research? 

Using local media had never crossed my mind. I wasn’t sure they would be interested in my research. I fell victim to the notion of "town vs. gown"; the idea that the public doesn’t really care about our research or aren’t that interested in it. In the end, it was a snobby view and one that turned out to be false in my case.

Were you concerned at all about "going public" with your research? What were some of those concerns? 

As most people are with social media, I was worried about negative reactions and nasty comments. I think this is a perfectly normal response. Although I’ve tried to not read the comments sections on Facebook or on websites, I still find myself lurking there. I checked out my story and found that my fears were false. The comments weren’t horrid. I do think if I’d gone to a nationally distributed paper, it could’ve turned out differently. I think there is room in my project for people who really hate what the U.S. Indian Scouts represent to make their voices heard. I know some scholars worry about being scooped by others. This has not been my concern.

To whom did you present your project? How did you frame it in a way that would be attractive to a newspaper editor? 

Lucky for me, you exist, Zach. I had the good fortune of a former newspaper editor being a colleague at WSU. I sent you an email and pitched my idea to you. You were the one who wisely steered me toward the local newspapers. You mentioned that the local connection for local newspapers was critical. For one newspaper, the Miles City Star, I just walked into the office and asked to talk to the editor. He was busily typing out a story, but stopped and listened to my pitch about doing research on Indian Scouts at Fort Keogh and looking for local stories about them. I wanted community input and assistance. He was also intrigued that a researcher from WSU would come all that way to study their town. Then he turned me over to a reporter to give him all of the details and write up the story. For the Billings Gazette, which is a much larger newspaper, I did a bit of internet sleuthing to find a reporter who covered tribal/local stories. I went to the front desk and asked for this reporter by name. She came out, listened to my pitch and decided it was worth it. In this case, I didn’t have to sell it to the editor. She must’ve done that work for me. She couldn’t interview me that afternoon because she was working on a deadline, but arranged for a meeting the next morning. When I arrived, she brought me up to the photo editor for a headshot and then we sat down for our hour-long interview.

What was that process like? Did it require you to rethink your project in any way? 

Our earlier email conversation helped me frame my project in a way that was mutually beneficial for both parties. I needed to think about my project in a way that would be useful to the local newspaper and for me to find local descendants of the U.S. Indian Scouts. I needed to really sharply craft the message, avoid unnecessary details, and keep it laser focused. Obviously, my dissertation project involves other regions of the country (specifically Arizona) and abstract concepts about race. I knew these things were not relevant to newspapers in eastern Montana, so I omitted them in my interviews. The process was different due to the reporters. One was a reporter working on the sports beat, who happened to be free that day. He sent a few follow-up emails to ask for clarification as well as one that mentioned that the editor flagged a spot in his story where he wanted more information. It was more of a back-and-forth exchange after my initial interview. I tried my best to be prompt in responding since I knew that they work on deadlines. I also had to provide a headshot for this newspaper. Thankfully, I have one for this purpose and it was easy. The other reporter was a seasoned professional with a long tenure at the newspaper. I never spoke to or heard anything from the editor. She handled all of the photos, etc. Since my story wasn’t breaking news, it took it a few weeks to see print (hardcopy and digital). What I didn’t realize was that the Billings Gazette article would be reprinted in smaller newspapers across the state such as the Ravalli Republic.

Researchers collaborate all the time with peers, mentors, archivists, and other experts, but not so often with reporters and newspaper editors. How was the experience of working with journalists compared to working with academics? 

Zach Hagadone

The experience was different and the same. At the end of the day, historians and journalists share a love for good stories. We are both interested in what we can learn from the human experience. Your email response to my initial inquiry was fairly blunt about my writing style. You suggested I cut out my double-spaces after sentences and my Oxford comma. This was especially important if I were going to write any inquiries or articles for a newspaper. Thankfully, I relied on old-fashioned first impressions to help make my case. I could see how they would judge my writing style and whether to pursue the story based on that. If I were going to pursue this beyond these sorts of stories (writing a regular feature, etc.), I think knowing Associated Press style would be crucial to future success.

Did you feel like the coverage you received was  useful? Were there any surprises? 

Going into it, I had no idea if it would be useful. I had visions of hundreds of emails after the story was published. I received twenty. However, one of the emails was very useful and has led to subsequent conversations. This person will likely serve as a source for my dissertation. As Dr. Peter Boag pointed out to me, most of these oral history projects never pan out as expected. But they do provide a few tantalizing clues and some useful feedback. I was also surprised that the WSU College of Arts and Sciences Communications was interested in the article. It appeared on their news feed. It had a life beyond what I intended it to.

Looking back, what would you have done differently, either in your initial approach or in the interview process? 

If I had it to do over, I would’ve included a phone number for people to call. I only published my email address. This works for the majority of people nowadays, but I probably missed some elders who probably don’t have access to this technology. As a matter of fact, one email was from the granddaughter of an elder who passed along some information. I only regret that I didn’t do this for my M.A. thesis. I think my project could’ve been much richer had I taken the time to talk to the local newspaper in Colville.

About the authors:
Ryan Booth, ABD studies the history of the American West, especially Native Americans and the U.S. Army. His dissertation, “Crossed Arrows,” focuses on the experiences of the U.S. Indian Scouts from 1866-1942.

Zach Hagadone is a second-year M.A. student working under Dr. Jennifer Thigpen in the field of early American history. His journalism career spans more than 20 years at multiple newspapers in Idaho, most recently as editor-in-chief of the Boise Weekly. He currently contributes an occasional column to the Pacific Northwest Inlander, based in Spokane, Washington.