Hey everyone,
Some news to report… Last year, I had the fortunate opportunity to do a 4 month internship at my favorite organization, Democracy Now!
DN! is an extraordinary example of independent media — it is a daily radio and television program hosted by the world renowned journalist (and long time hero of mine), Amy Goodman. I highly recommend tuning in… it is more than a news program, it is a lifestyle. Their intrepid reporting is unparalleled by any other news source, as they are tenaciously committed to giving the disenfranchised a voice. DN! always reports on the peace movement and on voices of dissent that are otherwise forgotten by mainstream, corporate sponsored news outlets…

For instance, during the DNC and the RNC, DN! sent reporters to not only cover the convention, but also to capture the size and magnitude of the protests. On September 1st, two Democracy Now! journalists were illegally arrested and assaulted because they were trying to get footage of the protests outside the RNC… when Amy got the news, she ran to the place where they were being arrested and demanded that they be released and allowed to do their jobs. All three of them had very visible press passes and permission to roam the RNC as needed. When Amy demanded to know why her journalists were being arrested, she herself was taken into custody:

She (and the other two reporters) have since been released but felony charges still persist. DN! put out a press release, detailing the incident and the total disregard that the police demonstrated towards the rights of the press. Please read….
This is another example of how our civil rights are being abused in a very matter-of-fact, unapologetic, kind of way. What can we do about the fact that we live in a police state? How do we respond, react, and persevere when our right to protest (or report on the protests) is no longer permitted? How do we get heard/seen when our governing (and complicent media) powers are committed to keeping us divided and invisible?