Greg Guma

Greg Guma born March 4, 1947 in New York City, is an American progressive journalist and author.

A graduate of Syracuse University (B.S., 1968) and the University of Vermont (M.Ed, 1975), Guma edited a variety of publications from the 1970s to 2005, including "The Vermont Vanguard Press", the state’s first commercial alternative weekly; "Toward Freedom" [http://www.towardfreedom.com/home/] , an international affairs newsletter founded in 1952; and "Vermont Guardian" [http://www.vermontguardian.com/] . In 2006, he became Executive Director of the Pacifica Foundation, parent corporation of the Pacifica radio network. He is also the author of several documentary scripts, plays and books, including "The People’s Republic: Vermont and the Sanders Revolution" [http://www.amazon.com/dp/093305078X] , "Uneasy Empire: Repression, Globalization and What We Can Do" [http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/American_Empire/Uneasy_Empire.html] , and "Spirits of Desire" [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594577307] .

Journalism career

Guma's career as a journalist began in 1968 at the "Bennington Banner" [http://www.benningtonbanner.com/] , a daily paper in southern Vermont. After working briefly as publications director for Bennington College and as a project director for government work and training programs, he moved to the Burlington area in the mid-70s, becoming a college teacher and alternative journalist.

In 1978, he covered one of the first “terrorist” trials in the US, the prosecution of Kristina Berster [http://cdi.uvm.edu/findingaids/viewEAD.xql?pid=berster.ead.xml] , a West German woman who attempted to cross the border illegally, and revealed in a series of articles that the government’s charges were part of a massive disinformation campaign. Defended by Chicago 8 lawyer William Kunstler, Berster was acquitted of conspiracy charges. Two years later, Guma revealed that the FBI was using the US Census [http://www.loc.gov/law/find/hearings/pdf/0013929497A.pdf] as a cover for illegal investigations, a revelation that led to a congressional investigation. For those stories and other civil liberties writing he won a 1980 National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship.

As editor of the "Vermont Vanguard Press" (1978-1983), he helped set the stage for electoral victories by progressives in Burlington, including the election of Bernie Sanders as city mayor in 1981. He also chaired the city's third party and ran for local office.

Guma became editor of "Toward Freedom" [http://www.towardfreedom.com/home/] in 1987 for two years, and returned to the position in 1994, remaining editor of the international affairs publication for the next decade. During that time "Toward Freedom" expanded its coverage and won several Project Censored awards, including one for Guma’s coverage of private military companies [http://books.google.com/books?id=_DpW2MB2UooC&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=Guma+Project+Censored+Secrets+R+US&source=web&ots=L4NOwbL3T_&sig=evfKQX72ma2RRhSmhkbZEc4yWbI&hl=en#PPA98,M1] . In 2000, he organized Building Independent Media, a national conference, and in 2001 helped to found Vermont’s Independent Media Center, coinciding with FTAA protests in Quebec City. His feature articles and editorial columns have been published worldwide.

In 2004, Guma and Shay Totten co-founded "Vermont Guardian" [http://www.vermontguardian.com/] , a statewide weekly newspaper. Two years later, Guma became Executive Director of the Pacifica Foundation after the resignation of Dan Coughlin. During his tenure, Pacifica launched several new programs, including "Informed Dissent", "From the Vault", and a daily newscast in Spanish. He resigned in late 2007.

Pacifica Radio

As Executive Director of the progressive radio network Guma attempted to heal the wounds created by the decade-long struggle for control of the organization. Finances improved and new programs were launched. But the divisions within the organization persisted, and he left prematurely when members of the National Board disapproved of his conflict with the Chief Financial Officer and attempt to strengthen national programming.

Other writing

In 1976, Guma edited and co-authored a people’s history, "Vermont’s Untold History", including the struggles of women, indigenous people and labor and debunking capitalist myths. In 1985, he edited "Bread & Puppet: Stories of Struggle and Faith from Central America" [http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/794489/used/Bread%20&%20puppet%20:%20stories%20of%20struggle%20&%20faith%20from%20Central%20America] . His 1989 book, "The People’s Republic: Vermont and the Sanders Revolution" [http://www.amazon.com/dp/093305078X] , chronicled the rise of progressive politics in the Green Mountain State. In 1991, he co-authored "Passport to Freedom" [http://www.worldgovernmenthouse.com/Book_List.php#catpass] with World Citizen leader Garry Davis.

In recent years, he has written a post-9/11 manifesto about political repression and globalization, "Uneasy Empire" (2002) [http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/American_Empire/Uneasy_Empire.html] , a novel about Helena Blavatsky and 19th Century spiritualism, "Spirits of Desire" [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594577307] , and a play about the Haymarket affair and crackdowns on civil liberties, "Inquisitions (and Other Un-American Activities" [http://www.squeakywheel.net/inquisitions.html] .

Films and other media activities

Since the 1980s Guma has been associated with Green Valley Films [http://www.greenvalleymedia.org/index.php3?ticket=] , writing scripts for documentaries including "Haitian Pilgrimage", "Journey Home: Accompaniment in Guatemala", "Columbus and the New World Order", and "No Longer Enemies". He also wrote and produced the CD "Nonviolent Warriors: Dave Dellinger and the Power of the People" [http://www.towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/89/69/]

Guma founded and managed two Vermont bookstores in the 1970s and 80s, The Frayed Page (1975-80) and Maverick Bookstore and Gallery (1985-91). In the early 1990s, he managed a bookstore, Revolution, in Santa Monica, CA.

External links

* [http://www.selvesandothers.org/view68.html Articles]
* [http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_missionimprobable911.html 9/11: Mission Improbable]
* [http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=5069 Dirty Tricks in Haiti]
* [http://www.current.org/radio/radio0602guma.shtml Pacifica's Practical Idealist]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=Hg3DR7blYgAC&pg=PA349&lpg=PA349&dq=%22greg+guma%22+perception+management&source=web&ots=qHji-VbVAq&sig=SIScsTqE5b4mN4uYf1lY5nnU8uU&hl=en Perception Management]