UNO Professor Launches Native American Health News Site

Omaha – A UNO professor has launched a new website making news about the health and wellness of Native American populations easily accessible and free to those who may otherwise lack access.

Earlier this month, Teresa Lamsam, associate professor of communication, launched the Native Health News Alliance (NHNA) in partnership with the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA).

Located at www.nativehealthnews.com, the site provides content in the form of hard news stories, feature stories, multimedia and infographics.

Lamsam is a member of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma and has served on its editorial executive board. In addition to her work in the School of Communication, she is also a faculty member in UNO’s Native American Studies Department.

The goal of Lamsam’s site is to change the public image of health witNHNhin tribal media sites and, outside of these locations, educate about the needs of a community that is often overlooked in the normal 24-hour news cycle.

“Research indicates that news coverage of health and wellness significantly affects the public by framing their perceptions of topics and those perceptions lead to changes in behavior and public policy,” Lamsam said.

The NHNA will distribute information through virtual kiosks, which serve as reporting assistants and offer free, pre-packaged news and features on Native health to publishers.

“Editors and producers can now expand their Native health news content by utilizing NHNA resources for the coverage of shared American Indian health issues,” Lamsam added.

In addition to getting access to content, users are encouraged to submit content that can be used by others. Alerts will be sent as new content is uploaded to the site.

At the site, users may register as a journalist, health organization, or other to access web, print and multimedia stories for publishing in news outlets.

NHNA is supported through a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

For media questions about Lamsam and the NHNA, please contact Charley Reed, UNO media relations coordinator, at unonews@unomaha.edu or by phone at 402.554.2129.

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