Amy Goodman: Freeing American Media

Mainstream media in America neglects to include, employ, and present ownership opportunity to female journalists and media innovators, even though women account for 51 percent of this country, according to Carol Jenkins in her entry Media Ownership: Impact on Minority Ownership and Localism for the Women's Media Center website. Jenkins calls the underrepresented female majority in media the 'Invisible Majority'. Jenkins states, "I am speaking here on behalf of what we call the 'Invisible Majority', the women in this country who account for 51 percent of the population, yet own less than 5 percent of television stations and 6 percent of radio stations. As you might imagine, the subject of ownership is central to our concerns, especially when it comes to publicly owned airwaves, where we have a crisis in participation and representation."

Our media is presently monopolized. There are 6 media giants that own media outlets across the board: TV, Radio, Film, Online holdings. How can such a small number represent such a diverse group without homogenizing ideas and providing information that suits their own interests for profits? According to freepress.net "Media are essential to our democracy. They shape our attitudes and keep us informed. We depend upon media to make decisions, participate in politics, and hold our leaders accountable. But only a handful of companies produce and own the majority of programming that Americans listen to and watch everyday." In this already limited sphere of ownership, there is even less representation from and for the female voice.

With this in mind, it's important that we investigate, recognize, and support our female representatives in alternative media and applaud their fortitude in contending with the behemoth that is mainstream media. One of these groundbreaking voices is Amy Goodman. Amy Goodman is a progressive broadcast journalist, a well-respected radio news director and show host, a capable investigative reporter, syndicated columnist and accomplished author. Any well-informed conversation about alternative news would include the name of Amy Goodman.

A Harvard University graduate, Amy Goodman is the first journalist to receive the Right Livelihood Award. Out in the field, Goodman was an audacious and dedicated human rights journalist. In 1991, after witnessing a mass murder of demonstrators for the East Timor independence movement, Goodman and peer journalist, Allan Naim, were beaten by Indonesian soldiers. She also documented the hidden details of Chevon Corporation's role in a face-off between Nigerian soldiers and villagers, over seized oil rigs, that resulted in multiple murders.

Goodman was the news director for Pacifica Radio station WBAI in New York City where she co-founded, and is the principal host of, Democracy Now!, a daily syndicated news show with an alternative point-of-view as compared to mainstream media. Democracy Now! is aired by more than 700 raido, TV, satellite, and cable TV networks. An important factor about Goodman's anchor news show is that it's completely funded by listeners, viewers, and foundations and does not accept advertisers. One of Goodman's primary intentions in her career has been to oppose the current of media generators and freely provide listeners and viewers with information most corporate owned media outlets are not at liberty to disclose. Below is an interview of Amy Goodman by Anastasia Churkina for RT New York, in which she discusses the importance of corporate free media...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRg0Fj1vK2g&feature=fvst

I first discovered Amy Goodman driving to and from work, listening to my radio. I became addicted to Democracy Now!. Her in-depth reporting and interviews made me feel I was hearing more of the story and she always provides listeners with ways they can get involved and try to better things. A vast difference from the rote news feed provided by corporate media, that often makes me feel powerless and overwhelmed. Professor and Media critic, Robert McChesney, said of Amy Goodman and Democracy Now!, "[It is] probably the most significant progressive news institution that has come around in some time."

http://www.democracynow.org/