What Is Independent Media? Ask Amy Goodman

'Steal This Story, Please' in theaters April 10th!

There is a new documentary about Amy Goodman and her brainchild, Democracy Now. Look for Steal This Story, Please! It will be in theaters on April 10th.

Democracy Now is the longest standing, in-your-face, independent, progressive news broardcast—that actually reports the news. The program airs live each weekday from 8-9:00 AM Eastern. The first 12-13 minutes cover the day’s domestic and international news. Then going deeper, the show interviews the principal people involved, ranging from eye witnesses and front-line activists, to professors and policy wonks.

Investigative journalist, Amy Goodman, co-founded Democracy Now in 1996 and is the show’s primary host. As she reports and talks to people, Goodman avoids making political commentary. She doesn’t need to. She has compassionate eyes. And the stories speak for themselves.

So there is no commentary, no talking heads. Does that mean Democracy Now is perfectly unbiased? No. The show maintains a pronounced leftist bias. It is aimed toward the interests of regular folks, instead of wealthy corporations and billionaires. For instance, if you wonder why a group of people are protesting somewhere in the world, go to Democracy Now to find out.

But if Democracy Now is biased, can the news coverage be factual? Yes, absolutely. Media Bias Fact Check gives Democracy Now the highest credibility rating. Any meaningful bias is, after all, based on hard facts.

So Democracy Now is both left-leaning and factual. But what, exactly, makes it independent? Amy Goodman gives a simple answer: “Not being sponsored by corporations.”

Democracy Now covers important news stories that are under-reported by mainstream corporate news media. Thus, the new documentary about Amy Goodman is entitled: Steal This Story, Please!

Amy Goodman is much admired for her dedication to pro-democracy journalism, and her courage. I can’t wait to hear her story, and see how Democracy Now became a reality.