Clara Caufield: Native newspaper perseveres amid COVID-19 and other challenges

Native Sun News Today publisher Tim Giago is seen in the newsroom in January 2019. Photo: NSNT

Merry Christmas to Native Sun News Today

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

By Clara Caufield

NSNT Columnist

It is that season of year again – Christmas and the New Year, basically the end of 2020. And what a year it has been due to the COVID which has had so many devastating effects on Indian Country.

This column focuses on Native Sun News Today (NSNT) in my opinion the stellar Indian newspaper in the country. Of course, I’m biased, privileged to be part of the crew, though only a correspondent/columnist from afar for many years.

I’m not sure when NSNT was started but know that it is the latest in a line of newspaper that Tim Giago has founded and personally operated from at least four decades. His style is “hands-on” –he is the heart and soul of the publication on an incredibly long run which I hope continues for many more years. Indeed, NSNT is synonymous with Tim Giago.

The COVID pandemic has been really tough on many small businesses across the country, bringing many to their knees. Some are now closed forever, doubtful they can start up again.

Yet, NSNT has persevered, in spite of nearly overwhelming odds and challenges.

Not a lot of people appreciate what it takes to consistently produce a small newspaper week after week and year after year. I do because I founded and almost single-handedly produced the former “Cheyenne Voice” on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, lasting close to six years before throwing in the towel.

Even though the Cheyenne and Crow loved that little paper, I finally just got tired of the weekly grind (could not afford to hire anyone) and living on the brink of financial disaster.

But I was not the only one – consider the newspaper giants who have closed shop in the last decade or resorted to an on-line presence while others have significantly reduced content and size and increased prices. NSNT on the other hand has been the same price for years and Tim will not raise it.

While NSNT also has a website, the heart of the operation is the hard copy, cherished by so many readers, including myself. It has more permanence, sure to be a primary resource for many researchers and historians.

Ever try to find an old email from 10 years ago? Good luck. In my view, the on-line publications have a place in today’s society, but are ever so fleeting.