>> JOURNALIST AND DEMOCRACY NOW
HOST AMY GOODMAN SPENT SEVERAL
DAYS IN NEW MEXICO AS PART OF A
NATIONAL TOUR.
MS.
GOODMAN HAS A NEW BOOK
CALLED DEMOCRACY NOW, 20 YEARS
COVERING THE MOVEMENTS SHAPING
AMERICA.
SHE SAT DOWN FOR A FEW MINUTES
IN THE STUDIO WITH NEW MEXICO
INFOCUS PRODUCER SARAH GUSTAVUS.
THEY TALKED ABOUT THE 2016
ELECTIONS, WHO INSPIRED HER WORK
AND VALUE OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA.
>> AMY GOODMAN, THANKS FOR
TAKING TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH ME.
>> SO GOOD TO BE WITH YOU,
SARAH.
>> BUSY 100 CITIES TOUR.
>> I KNOW I AM IN NEW MEXICO
RIGHT NOW.
>> YOUR NEW BOOK, DEMOCRACY NOW,
20 YEARS COVERING THE MOVEMENT
CHANGING AMERICA, OPENS UP WITH
REFLECTONS ON COVERING THE
ELECTIONS HAITI IN 1995 AND
PREPARING FOR THE 1996
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS HERE IN
THE U.S.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ELECTIONS CAN
TELL US ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR
COUNTRY, STATE OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
>> I THINK WHAT IS CRITICAL IS
PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO
PARTICIPATE.
I MEAN WHEN I WAS IN HAITI
PEOPLE FACED ENORMOUS VIOLENCE,
BOTH POLITICIANS COULD BE GUNNED
DOWN, PEOPLE GOING TO THE POLLS,
THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
VOTING.
IN THIS COUNTRY AT THAT TIME IF
HALF THE PEOPLE VOTED, WE WERE
LUCKY.
THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
IN THESE PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES,
WHILE THERE IS A GREAT DEAL MADE
OF WHO COMES OUT FOR WHO, WHAT
IS REALLY IS THE OVERWHELMINGLY
SIGNIFICANT NUMBER IS 80% OF
PEOPLE ARE NOT VOTING AND THAT
GOES TO THE ISSUE, I THINK, OF
VOTER OBSTACLES.
IT IS UNACCEPTABLE IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT IS BEING EVISCERATED.
IN TEXAS YOU CAN'T -- YOU HAVE
TO SHOW AN ID BUT IT CANNOT BE A
STUDENT ID, THOUGH YOU CAN SHOW
A GUN LICENSE.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THIS
COUNTRY?
PEOPLE WHO IN ANYWAY HAD A BRUSH
WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
IT IS A BIG UNTOLD STORY,
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CANNOT VOTE
IN THIS COUNTRY PERHAPS BECAUSE
THEY SERVED TIME IN JAIL.
AND IN SOME STATES YOU CAN NEVER
VOTE AGAIN.
AND IN OTHER STATES LIKE VERMONT
AND MAINE, PRISONERS VOTE FROM
JAIL.
WE NEED TO OPEN UP ACCESS.
WE JUST HAD A PRIMARY IN
ARIZONA.
THERE WERE 200 POLLING PLACES
LAST TIME IN PHOENIX, LARGE
LATINO POPULATION.
NOW 140 OF THEM WERE CLOSED.
HOW COULD THIS BE.
THE RATIONALE WAS GIVEN TO SAVE
MONEY.
WHY OPEN ANY POLLING PLACE, SAVE
EVERYTHING.
NO, YOU ENDANGER DEMOCRACY.
>> DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THE
SUPREME COURT DECISION AND THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 2013?
>> THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE
FACT THAT A NUMBER OF STATES ARE
NO LONGER UNDER SCRUTINY IS A
MAJOR PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO INCREASE VOTER
PARTICIPATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN MANY STATES
ELECTION DAY IS A HOLIDAY.
OR IT IS ON A WEEKEND.
HERE IN THE UNITED STATES IT IS
DIFFICULT.
IF YOU HAVE A SITUATION LIKE YOU
HAD IN ARIZONA WHERE IT TAKES
FIVE HOURS TO VOTE AND YOU'RE
WORKING THAT DAY, YOU HAVE GOT
TO LEAVE UP.
YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO VOTE.
WE HAVE TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE THAT
ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS CAN VOTE IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THAT MAKES DEMOCRACY MEANINGFUL.
>> HOW ARE YOU COVERING 2016
ELECTIONS DIFFERENTLY COMPARED
TO OTHER MEDIA?
>> WE FOCUS ON MOVEMENT.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE MOVEMENTS MATTER.
MOVEMENTS MAKE HISTORY.
I MEAN, THE DISPROPORTIONAL
COVERAGE OF DONALD TRUMP, NO
MATTER WHO YOU SUPPORT,
INCLUDING DONALD TRUMP, THE
KINDELL REPORT SHOWS IN 2015, HE
GOT 23 TIMES THE COVERAGE OF
BERNIE SANDERS.
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT GAVE HIM
81 MINUTES, SANDERS GOT 20
SECONDS.
I WONDER WHAT SANDERS DID FOR
THE 20 SECONDS IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
LOOK AT MARCH 15.
THAT WAS ONE PRIMARY NIGHT,
CALLED IT SUPER TUESDAY THREE.
MISSOURI, ILLINOIS, OHIO,
FLORIDA AND NORTH CAROLINA.
THEY PLAYED THAT NIGHT OVER
CORPORATE NETWORKS.
THEY BROUGHT YOU MARCO RUBIO'S
SPEECH.
THEY PULLED OUT BECAUSE HE
DIDN'T WIN FLORIDA.
JOHN KASICH'S SPEECH.
HE WON HIS FIRST PRIMARY, OHIO.
HILLARY CLINTON HAD WON THREE
STATES BY THEN.
IT WAS OHIO, FLORIDA AND NORTH
CAROLINA.
BY THE TIME SHE SPOKE, THEN THEY
WAITED AND WAITED FOR TRUMP,
SHOWED EMPTY PODIUM IN ONE OF
HIS FLORIDA MANSIONS AND THE
PUNDITS WERE ALL FILLING THE
TIME, YOU KNOW, THE PUNDITS THAT
YOU GET ON THESE CORPORATE
NETWORKS, WHO KNOW SO LITTLE
ABOUT SO MUCH, EXPLAINING THE
WORLD TO US AND GETTING IT SO
WRONG.
FINALLY DONALD TRUMP SPOKE,
OKAY, TED CRUZ SPOKE.
THEY PLAYED WHAT HE SAID.
WHERE WAS BERNIE SANDERS THAT
NIGHT?
HAD HE FALLEN ASLEEP, HAD HE
TAKEN THE NIGHT OFF, WHY WEREN'T
ANY OF THE NETWORKS SPECULATING?
I AM TALKING FOX, MS-NBC, CNN.
HE DISAPPEARED.
THERE IS SOMETHING WORSE THAN
NEGATIVE COVERAGE AND IT IS WHEN
VANISH SOMEBODY.
>> THE NEXT MORNING AT DEMOCRACY
NOW, WE PLAYED EXCERPTS OF
BERNIE SANDER'S SPEECH.
HE SPOKE BEFORE THOUSAND OF
PEOPLE IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA.
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD
BE REVOLUTIONARY ACT TO PLAY THE
SPEECH OF A MAJOR PARTY
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON THE
NIGHT OR THE MORNING AFTER A
MAJOR SERIES OF PRIMARIES.
IT IS UNACCEPTABLE WHAT HAS
HAPPENED IN THIS COUNTRY.
EVEN THOUGH HE HAS BROKEN MANY
RECORDS FROM FUND RAISING, 44
MILLION-DOLLARS IN MARCH, VERSUS
HILLARY CLINTON'S 29 MILLION.
THE NUMBER OF DONORS WELL OVER
SIX MILLION.
IT IS NOT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE FOR
AND WHO YOU'RE AGAINST, NETWORKS
HAVE TO BE FAIR IN THEIR
COVERAGE.
AND ONE MORE THING.
I CALL FOR AN ELECTORAL SEASON
WITHOUT POLLS.
I KNOW THAT SOUNDS EXTREME, BUT
THINK ABOUT IT.
WHY ARE POLLS SO IMPORTANT?
I MEAN, WHEN I AM TRYING TO MAKE
MY DECISION, DO I CARE WHAT YOU
THINK OR MY FAMILY THINKS?
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES
ARE THAT THE CANDIDATES THINK
ARE IMPORTANT, WHAT THEIR
RECORDS ARE.
THE WAY THE NETWORKS DO IT, IT
IS SORT OF LIKE IT MAKES IT LOOK
LIKE A HORSE RACE, RIGHT?
THIS ONE IS AHEAD, THIS ONE IS
BEHIND.
AND THEN YOU COME TO THE DAY OF
THE PRIMARY AND THE POLLS ARE
WRONG AND SO THEY SPEND THE NEXT
PERIOD OF TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW
THEY GOT IT SO WRONG.
WHAT THE NETWORKS NEED TO DO IS
SPEND THE SAME MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS NOT ON POLLS BUT ON
INVESTIGATING RECORDS AND
POLICIES OF PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES AND THE FACT OF THE
MATTER IS, WE HAVE POLLS.
PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES ARE
NATURAL POLLS AT THE END OF DAY.
THESE ARE FACT BASED.
THEY ARE NOT SPECULATION.
YOU FIND OUT DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE
VOTERS, YOU FIND OUT THE RACIAL
BREAKDOWN, AGE BREAKDOWN, ALL OF
THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT,
BUT WHY NOT BASE IT IN FACT.
THE POLLS THAT WE ARE INUNDATED
WITH SHOULD JUST STOP.
>> YOU WERE ARRESTED IN THE 2008
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
IN ST.
PAUL.
OTHER JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN
ARRESTED THIS YEAR AT TRUMP
RALLIES?
WHY DOES THAT CONCERN YOU.
>> I AM GRAVELY CONCERNED ABOUT
THIS.
IT WAS NOT JUST ME.
I WAS ARRESTED IN 2012, THE
FIRST DAY OF THE REPUBLICAN
CONVENTION IN ST.
PAUL.
WE HAD BEEN COVERING THE PEACE
PROTEST, OUTSIDE, 10,000 PEOPLE
LED BY SOLDIERS WHO HAD BEEN IN
IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
I WENT TO THE CONVENTION FLOOR
AND WAS INTERVIEWING DELEGATES
FROM ALASKA, JOHN MCCLAIN, SARAH
PALIN.
I GOT A CALL THAT TWO COLLEAGUES
HAD BEEN ARRESTED AND BLOODIED
BY THE POLICE.
I SAID WHAT ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT?
THEY ARE IN THE TV STATION
DIGITIZING TAPES.
MY COLLEAGUE SAID, NO, COME
QUICKLY, SEVENTH AND JACKSON IN
ST.
PAUL.
THEY WERE COVERING A PROTEST
THAT HAD BROKEN OUT IN THE
AFTERNOON AND THEY WERE
ARRESTED.
NOW, I SIMPLY WENT TO THAT
CORNER TO GET MY COLLEAGUES
RELEASED.
I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM.
I RACED TO THE CORNER.
I SAW THE RIOT POLICE LINED UP.
THEY HAD FULLY CONTAINED THE
AREA.
I WENT UP TO ONE OF THE RIOT
POLICE OFFICERS, AND I SAID,
EXCUSE ME, WE NEED TO HAVE OUR
REPORTS RELEASED.
IT WASN'T SECONDS BEFORE HE
RIPPED ME THROUGH THE POLICE
LINES, TWISTED MY ARMS BACK,
SLAPPED HANDCUFFS ON AND I SAID,
PLEASE, SIR, I WANT TO SPEAK TO
YOUR MANY COMMANDING OFFICER.
DON'T ARREST ME.
HE PUSHED ME TO THE GROUND AND
CHARGED ME WITH A MISDEMEANOR
INTERFERING WITH A PEACE
OFFICER.
IF ONLY THERE WAS A PEACE
OFFICER IN THE VICINITY.
NOW, ULTIMATELY BECAUSE WE WERE
ARRESTED, THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF PRESSURE BROUGHT ON
THE ST.
PAUL MINNEAPOLIS POLICE,
ALL THE AUTHORITIES, THOUSANDS
OF CALLS, EMAILS, TWEETS, EVERY
DIFFERENT FORM OF COMMUNICATION.
SO AFTER A NUMBER OF HOURS I WAS
RELEASED AND MY COLLEAGUES WERE,
BUT I WAS ONE OF 40 REPORTERS OR
MORE ARRESTED AT THAT CONVENTION
IN THAT WEEK.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
LATER THAT NIGHT I WAS BROUGHT
BACK TO THE CONVENTION AND I WAS
IN THE NBC SKY BOX AND BEING
INTERVIEWED.
WHEN THE CAMERA WAS TURNED OFF,
AN NBC REPORTER CAME OVER AND
SAID, HEY, HOW COME I DIDN'T GET
ARRESTED?
WERE YOU OUT COVERING THE
PROTEST TOO?
>> HE SAID NO.
>> I SAID, OH, WELL, I DON'T GET
ARRESTED IN THE SKY BOX EITHER.
IT'S OUR JOB TO COVER THE
DELEGATES, TO GET INTO THE
CORPORATE SUITES OF THE
DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN
CONVENTIONS, WHO IS SPONSORING
THESE EVENTS, AND TO GO OUT IN
THE STREETS WHERE THE UNINVITED
GUESTS ARE AND THERE ARE OFTEN
THOUSANDS OF THEM.
DEMOCRACY IS A MESSY THING AND
IT IS OUR JOB TO CAPTURE IT ALL.
AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GET A
RECORD WHEN WE PUT THINGS ON THE
RECORD.
>> AMY, WHO WERE YOUR MENTORS
AND PEOPLE YOU LOOKED UP TO IN
EARLY YEARS OF YOUR CAREER?
YOU HAVE BEEN DEMOCRACY 20 YEARS
NOW.
>> THESE 20 YEARS HAVE BEEN SUCH
AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
I WAS A JOURNALIST SINCE I WAS A
KID.
MY PARENTS, MY GRANDPARENTS WERE
WONDERFUL ROLE MODELS.
THEY WEREN'T INVOLVED IN
JOURNALISM BUT IN LIVING AN
ETHICAL LIFE.
AND I SAW JOURNALISM AS A WAY TO
LOOK AT THE WORLD, TO ALSO COVER
THE PEOPLE, THE HERETICS, THE
WHISTLE BLOWERS, CHANGE MAKERS,
THE PROFITS, WHO DEEPLY CARED
ABOUT MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER
PLACE.
AND THAT HAS ALWAYS INSPIRED ME
AND I HOPE IN DEMOCRACY NOW AND
SO HONORED HERE AT NEW MEXICO
PBS THAT WE BROADCAST EVERYDAY,
THE GRASS ROOTS GLOBAL NEWS
HOUR, THAT WE PROVIDE A FORUM
FOR PEOPLE TO SPEAK FOR
THEMSELVES.
WHEN YOU HEAR SOMEONE SPEAKING
FROM THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE,
WHETHER A PALESTINIAN CHILD OR
AN ISRAELI GRANDMOTHER, AN IRAQI
AUNT, AND UNCLE FROM
AFGHANISTAN, A KID FROM EAST ST.
LOUIS OR THE SOUTH VALLEY HERE
IN ALBUQUERQUE, IT CHALLENGES
STEREOTYPES AND CARICATURES THAT
FUEL HATE GROUPS.
WHEN YOU HEAR SOMEONE SPEAKING
FROM THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE, YOU
UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE COMING
FROM.
I DIDN'T SAY AGREE.
HOW OFTEN DO WE EVEN AGREE WITH
FAMILY MEMBERS, BUT YOU
UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ABOUT THEM,
WHICH MAKES IT MUCH LESS LIKELY
YOU WANT TO HURT THEM.
THAT IS IMPORTANT.
THAT UNDERSTANDING IS THE
BEGINNING OF PEACE.
I THINK THE MEDIA CAN BE THE
GREATEST FORCE FOR PEACE ON
EARTH INSTEAD ALL TOO OFTEN IT
IS WIELDED AS A WEAPON OF WAR
WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE TO TAKE THE
MEDIA BACK.
>> AMY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US
TODAY.
