The Oxygen of Democracy

“Democratic media is the oxygen of democracy.” That’s the maxim that motivates Amy Goodman, award-winning American journalist and longtime host of Democracy Now!, the daily news show that has blazed a trail for alternative media in its nearly three decades on air.

Whether reporting on East Timor’s independence movement or following the pipeline protests at Standing Rock, Goodman has dedicated her career to reporting the facts that go ignored by the mainstream media – even if it means putting herself in harm’s way.

Ash Sarkar talks to her about the state of independent media in a year of mass layoffs and bankruptcies. They also discuss arrest warrants, influencer-journalists, and what to do when Bill Clinton calls into your show.