Amy Goodman
First, you are the anti-Judith Miller, the discredited New York Times reporter who beat the drums for Bush and Cheney’s illegal war, who embedded her journalistic integrity for a chance to play with the big boys. Were they really that big, Judy? Really?
You, Amy Goodman, sneer at the very word “embedded.” You treasure journalistic independence. For twenty years, first as news director of WBAI in New York, one of Pacifica Radio’s flagship stations, and since 1994 the lovely and formidable one-non-blonde eye at the center of the growing whirlwind of horrible truths that is “Democracy Now!,” you have reported news free of corporate underwriting.
“The media should be like a huge kitchen table that stretches across this country, where we discuss life and death, war and peace – and anything less is a disservice to this country,” you said at Keene (N.H.) State College this past weekend, to an enthusiastic crowd of over 600 people. “My mission is to make dissent commonplace in this country.”
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Joyce Marcel penned this Ode to Amy Goodman which is posted over at CommonDreams.org. Amy is the voice of Democracy Now!, a talk show produced at Pacifica in NYC.
What kind of radio show is Democracy Now!? Amy’s own words describe it the best:
“This is a daily national grassroots news hour with a very strong international focus. We are a global community, bringing out the voices of people who are often not heard, that I think represent a majority of people on many different issues. And it is a forum for serious debate, dialogue, and discussion – what an international news hour should be.”
Amy and a colleague were once beaten senseless by Indonesian soldiers. She didn’t quit, she didn’t sit and cry about it, she got up, brushed herself off and went on.
There was a period of time when Democracy Now! left Pacifica radio and broadcast from an old fire station. Did Amy shrug and give up? No, in fact, her radio show still originates from that fire station, even though Pacifica welcomed her back long ago.
Does Amy think of the popularity of her radio show as a comment on her own popularity? Hell no, Amy feels that all the popularity is a result of people thirsting for alternative news and discussion. All this from a woman who apparently has never sat for a publicity photo. Jeeze, as far as I know, she still doesn’t even color her graying hair.
Recently I went through some dark days. I imagine that we all go through some form of emotional anguish from time to time directly resulting from our involvement in politics. I take things personally. Ah, but that’s where I get into trouble. I needed a few lessons in humility and sheer determination.
I’m back from that abyss, again. This time, I’m ready for the fight like never before.
Thank you, Amy Goodman.
Some articles/transcripts by Amy Goodman
WaPost 2003 article about Amy via Common Dreams