The Amy Goodman Interview

Doug Benthien, 12.09.2006 16:00

Despite a very long day and relentless schedule, Amy Goodman found time to grant an interview to an unknown journalist.

As Amy Goodman addressed a large and receptive assembly at Harry S.W. Schwartz Bookstore on Saturday Sept 9th, one could not have guessed that she is completing an 80 city book tour. Her new book, “Static: Government liars, Media Cheerleaders and the People Who Fight Back”, is a timely critique of the corporate-controlled media. Despite an earlier appearance that day at the Fighting Bob LaFallette Festival in Baraboo, WI, Goodman delivered a passionate address peppered with expedient anecdotes and satirical wit. Amy Goodman is an award-winning journalist and host of “Democracy Now”, an independent news program broadcast on Satellite T.V. and National Public Radio. Web streaming is also available at democracynow.org. Throughout her career, Ms. Goodman has reported on extraordinary events from often dangerous locations, including war-ravaged East Timor to an aircraft containing exiled Haitian leader, Jean-Baptiste Aristide. However, after a long and exhausting day, Amy Goodman sat down for an interview.


Q: Could you talk about the conditions which influenced your social consciousness?

A: I grew up with feeling that it was important to try to make the world a better place. I owe that to my parents and grandparents who were deeply committed to making the world a more just place, and I saw the way to do that was through journalism. I was always active in writing and holding those in power accountable. In high school it was my principal (who influenced me) and then moved on from there.

Q: Who are your political heroes?

A: At the end of my new book we write about voices of resistance and hope. We write about Alice Walker and Arundati Roy…Mukhtar Mai, a woman from Pakistan who spoke out against rape as a way of controlling women. I have great admiration for people who risk their lives for others.

Q: In terms of putting lives at risk, you reported from East Timor in the late 1970’s. Could you talk about the instances in which you have been in great danger?

A: Really, the danger I’ve been in pales in comparison to the danger that people who live in these countries like East Timor. They don’t have the protection of being an American. In East Timor I survived the massacre…they may have beat me, but it was not an exceptionally dangerous place for me because the U.S. backed the coup, and I was a U.S. journalist, so I had that protection. People live in very difficult circumstances and I think it is our job to document that.

Q: Some question the veracity of the anti-war movement. Where do you see the movement at this time?

A: I think the anti-war movement has had a tremendous impact…It’s like Daniel Ellsberg said, he was the man who released the Pentagon Papers, a top official in the Nixon administration. He said that he would look outside and see people protesting and started to wonder what he could do.

Q: You talked about some Orwellian concepts regarding the suppression of civil liberties in this country. Ironically, as you spoke, behind you and to your right was a copy of Orwell’s “1984”. Do we live in Orwellian times?

A: Yes, but I think Americans are smart people and they see that.

Q: Democracy Now is successful and growing in popularity, why do you think that is?

A: People are sick of the same old tired falsehoods and lies. We are there for the long haul, and people see that the others are speaking out in terms of the lie of weapons of mass destruction, so they turn to outlets that got it right to begin with and just not wring their hands and say “how did we get it so wrong?” and then continue down that wrong path.

Q: You report on stories that are not part of the mass media lexicon. How do you confront critics who might charge you with bias?

A: Our objective is to be accurate and objective and to give voice to those who are marginalized by the mainstream media. We act as a balance to the reality of suppressing dissent.

Q: In terms of strategy there is a debate as to whether the left should try to change the Democratic party or create a third party? What is your perspective on this?

A: First of all before you talk about starting a third party you need to have a second party. The Democrats have not offered an alternative at this point, they have very much identified with the Republican strategies for war, they endorsed the invasion, some have said that they were wrong, but others including the leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton has not.

Q: You report on issues that are largely difficult to report and digest. Where do you find reason for hope?

A: I am always amazed how many people come up, because we travel to so many cities, and say that they find hope in the show, and that gives me hope. I mean the issues are very difficult, but there is something about information being power, however difficult that is. It allows people to decide where they stand and go on from there.

Q: Speaking of going on from there, where does Amy Goodman and Democracy Now go on from here regarding future projects?

A: We are in our Democracy Now at ten tour, we’ve launched our second book and we’ve traveled to 80 cities and broadcast from many of those cities…that’s our main focus right now.

e-mail:: hdbenthien@yahoo.com

Last Question 12.09.2006 - 18:19 Why do you hate America? Brian Averill> last question rephrased 14.09.2006 - 00:33 i think it would actually be "DO you hate america?". i dont think she's done or said anything against our country; government yes, country no. she is simply trying to improve it. anonymous> rephrased again 14.09.2006 - 17:28 Why is Schwartz books a terrorist bookstore? If I wanted to hear a terrorist speak, I'd listen to broadcasts of old sammy bin laddo's communiques. !> yes!!! 14.09.2006 - 22:23 great job unknown journalist! bluebike> Please Be More Critical 03.10.2006 - 16:25 America would be a better place if its majority of people asked why their communities were dissolving, why their politicians were deceving them and being war profiteers, why their media was complacent and was owned by money making-truth avoiding corporations, why their cities lost their identities and sprawled too much to the extent of being dwarfed by suburbans where people live isolated, atomized, non comminitive and misearable lives without civic friendship, reciprocity and sharing, and so on and so forth, instead of asking an uncritical, propogandist and downright stupid question such as: 'why do you hate America?.' Truthseeker> . 05.10.2006 - 15:54 Whatever. Get your red flag off the internet, commie. Uncle Joe> Democracy of Morons 08.10.2006 - 13:07 All you get from these morons is uncritical, propagandist, moronish answers. If you say sharing, reciprocity, civic friendship and a better life for everybody, all you get is being accused of commie. Because morons can not debate, but they only try to shout you down. They don't criticize either, and accept whatever government gives them as truth. You should be self interested; you should use big cars running so much gas; you should invade other counties if your car dependent unethical life is on jeopardy, and you should definitely pulvarize anybody who can be a barrier to your self-promoting miserable life. Because these are the American values. If you don't accept them, you're Unamerican and a commie. I was born in this country and because of morons like uncle Joe, I see that it is coming to an end. Because no democracy can survive with so many morons. Truthseeker> rivotril 14.08.2007 - 19:28 nice news thanks!Clomipramin rivotril> e-mail:: idfo@dssewt.net Homepage:: http://prevacid buy oxazepam 15.08.2007 - 12:23 ortho evra buy oxazepam> e-mail:: hf@jofdke.com Homepage:: http://atarax