Amy Goodman

Infobox Radio presenter
name = Amy Goodman

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caption = Amy Goodman speaking at "Power To The Peaceful Festival", San Francisco 2004
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birthdate = birth date and age|mf=yes|1957|04|13
birthplace = Bay Shore/New York
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show = Democracy Now!
station = over 700
network = Pacifica Radio
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style = Investigative journalism
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Amy Goodman (born April 13, 1957 in Bay Shore/New York) is an American broadcast journalist, syndicated columnist and author.

A 1984 graduate of Harvard University, Goodman is best known as the principal host of Pacifica Radio's "Democracy Now!" program, where she has been described by the Los Angeles Times as "radio's voice of the disenfranchised left". [ [http://www.democracynow.org/about/in_the_news/LATimes Democracy Now! | Los Angeles Times ] ] Coverage of the peace and human rights movements — and support of the independent media — are the hallmarks of her work.

As an investigative journalist, she has received acclaim for exposés of human rights violations in East Timor and Nigeria. Goodman is the first journalist to receive the Right Livelihood Award. Her brother is investigative journalist David Goodman.

"Democracy Now!"

Goodman had been news director of Pacifica Radio station WBAI-FM in New York City for over a decade when she co-founded "Democracy Now! The War and Peace Report" in 1996. Since then, "Democracy Now!" has been called "probably the most significant progressive news institution that has come around in some time" by professor and media critic Robert McChesney. [ [http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050523/ratner Amy Goodman's 'Empire' ] ]

In 2001, the show was temporarily pulled off the air, as a result of a conflict with a group of Pacifica Radio board members and Pacifica staff members and listeners. The self-appointed board members had pushed for the sale of either KPFA-FM in Berkeley or WBAI-FM in New York,fact|date=February 2008 but dedicated listeners eventually regained control of Pacifica. While "Democracy Now!" was off the air at WBAI for 20 days, it moved to a converted firehouse where it continues to broadcast today. [ [http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0203/block.php village voice > news > A year after 2000's Christmas Coup, has Pacifica decided to give WBAI back to its listeners. Jennifer Block tunes in. by Jennifer Block ] ]

Goodman credits the program's success to the mainstream news makers who leave "a huge niche" for "Democracy Now!" "It's just the basic tenets of good journalism that instead of this small circle of pundits, you talk to people who live at the target end of the policy," she said. When the Bush Administration didn't find weapons of mass destruction, it "laid bare more than the Bush Administration, it laid bare media that act as a conveyor belt for the lies of the Administration. You know governments are going to lie, but not the media. So I think people started to seek out other forms of information." [ [http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050523/ratner Amy Goodman's 'Empire' ] ]

When President Bill Clinton called WBAI on Election Day, 2000, for a quick get-out-the-vote message, Goodman and Gonzalo Aburto challenged him for 28 minutes with questions about Leonard Peltier, racial profiling, the Iraq sanctions, Ralph Nader, the death penalty, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Clinton defended Democratic policies against criticism, but charged Goodman with being "hostile, combative, and even disrespectful". [ [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/06/22/148258 Democracy Now! | Bill Clinton Loses His Cool in Democracy Now! Interview on Everything But Monica: Leonard Peltier, Racial Profiling, the Iraqi Sanctions, Ralph Nader, the Death Penalty and the Israeli-Palestinian Con ] ]

Investigative journalism career

In 1991, covering the independence movement in East Timor, Goodman and fellow journalist Allan Nairn were badly beaten by Indonesian soldiers after they witnessed a mass killing of Timorese demonstrators in what became known as the Dili Massacre. [ [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/04/07/0328246 Democracy Now! | Massacre: The Story of East Timor ] ] She has speculated that the only thing that spared her the fate of the Australian-based journalists who were killed in East Timor in 1975 was an American passport; the United States was providing military support to the Indonesian army at the time. The U.S. did not cut off military aid to Indonesia until 1993.

In 1998, Goodman and journalist Jeremy Scahill documented Chevron Corporation's role in a confrontation between the Nigerian Army and villagers who had seized oil rigs and other equipment belonging to oil corporations. Two villagers were shot and killed during the standoff. [ [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/07/11/1517242 Democracy Now! | Drilling and Killing: As President Bush Meets with the CEO of Chevron Texaco in Nigeria, a Look at Chevron's Role in the Killing of Two Nigerian Villagers ] ] On May 28, 1998 the company provided helicopter transport to the Nigerian Navy and Mobile Police (MOPOL) to their Parabe oil platform which had been occupied by villagers who accused the company of contaminating their land. Soon after landing, the Nigerian military shot and killed two of the protesters, Jola Ogungbeje and Aroleka Irowaninu, and wounded 11 others. Chevron spokesperson Sola Omole acknowledged that the company transported the troops, and that use of troops was at the request of Chevron's management. The documentary won the George Polk Award in 1998.

Arrest at 2008 Republican Convention

During the 2008 Republican National Convention, several of Goodman's colleagues from Democracy Now! were arrested and detained by police while reporting on an anti-war protest outside the RNC. [cite news|url=http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/352466/amy_goodman_others_detained_outside_rnc|title=Amy Goodman, Others Detained Outside RNC |date=September 1, 2008|work=The Nation|accessdate=2008-09-02] [http://www.alternet.org/rights/97194/amy_goodman_and_two_democracy_now!_producers_unlawfully_arrested_at_rnc/] While trying to ascertain the status of her colleagues, Goodman herself was arrested and held, accused of "obstruct [ing] a legal process" and "interfer [ing] with a peace officer", [cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=29751|title=Scenes from St. Paul -- Democracy Now's Amy Goodman arrested|date=September 2, 2008|work=San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=2008-09-02] while fellow Democracy Now! producers were held on charges of "probable cause for riot". [cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/loophole/archive/2008/09/democracy_now_host_amy_goodman.shtml|title=Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman arrested at RNC protest|date=September 1, 2008|work=Minnesota Public Radio|accessdate=2008-09-02] Some sources have criticized the arrests of the producers as unlawful and a violation of the freedom of the press. [cite web|url=http://www.alternet.org/rights/97194/amy_goodman_and_two_democracy_now!_producers_unlawfully_arrested_at_rnc/|title=Amy Goodman and Two Democracy Now! Producers Unlawfully Arrested at RNC|date=September 1, 2008|work=Alternet|accessdate=2008-09-02] Goodman and her colleagues were later released, but as of September 2008 they still face charges stemming from their arrests, [cite news|url=http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2008/9/1/update_democracy_now_s_amy_goodman_sharif_abdel_kouddous_and_nicole_salazar_released_after_illegal_arrest_at_rnc|title=Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC|date=September 01, 2008|work=press release|publisher=Democracy Now!|accessdate=2008-09-02] although City Attorney John Choi has indicated that the charges will be dropped. [cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/09/19/national/a104814D21.DTL|title=No charges for reporters arrested in GOP protests|work=Associated Press|date=September 19,2008|accessdate=2008-09-20]

Other writing

In 2004 Goodman published her first book, a New York Times bestseller, "The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them" (ISBN 1-4013-0799-X), co-written with her brother, "Mother Jones" reporter David Goodman.

Their second book, published in August 2006, is entitled, "Static: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders, and the People who Fight Back" (ISBN 1-4013-0293-9). She appeared on the Colbert Report on Thursday October 5, 2006 to promote the book. Their third book, "Standing up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times" (ISBN 1-4013-2288-3), which details the capabilities of ordinary citizens to enact change, was released on April 8, 2008.

Goodman also writes a weekly column called "Breaking the Sound Barrier," for King Features Syndicate. In her first piece, released October 24, 2006, she wrote, "My column will include voices so often excluded, people whose views the media mostly ignore, issues they distort and even ridicule."

Film

In 2006, Goodman narrated the film "One Bright Shining Moment — The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern." Directed by Stephen Vittoria, the documentary chronicles the life and times of George McGovern, focusing on his 1972 bid for the presidency. The film features McGovern, Gloria Steinem, Gore Vidal, Warren Beatty, Howard Zinn, Ron Kovic, and Dick Gregory. The film won the Sarasota Film Festival's award for "Best Documentary Feature."

Recognition

Goodman has received dozens of awards for her work, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and the George Polk Award. In 2001, she declined to accept the Overseas Press Club Award, in protest of the group's pledge not to ask questions of keynote speaker Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and because the OPC was honouring Indonesia for their improved treatment of journalists despite the fact that they had recently beaten and killed reporters in occupied East Timor. [ [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/04/07/040242 Democracy Now! | Pacifica Rejects Overseas Press Club Award ] ]

On October 1, 2008, Goodman was named as a recipient of the 2008 Right Livelihood Award, often referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize" — the first journalist to be so honored. The Right Livelihood Award Foundation cited her work in "developing an innovative model of truly independent grassroots political journalism that brings to millions of people the alternative voices that are often excluded by the mainstream media." The prize will be awarded in the Swedish Parliament on December 8, 2008. [ [http://www.rightlivelihood.org/1317.html "2008 Right Livelihood Awards honour champions of independent journalism, peace-building and social justice"] (press release from the Right Livelihood Award Foundation)]

References

External links

* [http://www.democracynow.org Democracy Now!] — official website
* [http://www.democracynow.org/about/staff Democracy Now! Staff biographies]
* [http://www.alternet.org/columnists/5721/ Amy Goodman] at AlterNet
* [http://www.progressive.org/mag_intv0208 Amy Goodman Interview, By Elizabeth DiNovella, The Progressive, February 2008]
* Video interview with Amy Goodman: [http://www.elephantjournal.com/2007/09/amy-goodman/ "The Real Meaning of Patriotism"]
* [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0310-02.htm Peace Correspondent: 'Democracy Now!' Host Amy Goodman Is Making Her Voice Heard on Iraq] - Published on March 10, 2003 by "The Washington Post".
* [http://www.booknotes.org/Program/?ProgramID=1783 C-SPAN Booknotes: Amy Goodman on "The Exception to the Rulers"] - June 6, 2004; RealVideo format.
* [http://johnmccarthy90066.tripod.com/id490.html Independent Media in Time of War] - A documentary featuring Amy Goodman in RealVideo format.
* [http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=mediatype%3Amovies%20AND%20collection%3Ademocracy_now_vid Selection of Democracy Now Broadcasts @ Archive.org]
* [http://kingfeatures.com/pressrm/PR236.htm King Features press release]
* [http://bookishlove.net/?p=31 Reading report: Amy Goodman and David Goodman at Barnes & Noble] from BookishLove.net (Oct 2006)
* [http://ascentmagazine.com/toc.aspx?issueID=34&page=read&subpage=past Amy Goodman profile] at ascentmagazine.com.
* [http://www.pdxjustice.org/#Goodman_14Apr2008 VIDEO: Amy Goodman & David Goodman - Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times] , April 14, 2008, Portland, Oregon.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv_ZQ5WKriQ VIDEO: Amy Goodman Arrest at 2008 Republican Convention]

Persondata
NAME=Goodman, Amy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Journalist and author
DATE OF BIRTH=April 13, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH=Bay Shore, New York, United States
DATE OF DEATH=living
PLACE OF DEATH=