democracy now!

I try to listen to Democracy Now! every day. According to their website, Democracy Now! is "A daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the U.S."

When I listen to the show, I am struck by how incredibly public it in fact is. On every podcast Amy Goodman comments: "democracynow.org the War and Peace Report. We're broadcasting on over 650 stations... on public access TV and PBS TV stations in both TV satelite networks, on Dish Network channel 9415, Free Speech TV... and we're video and audio podcasting at democracynow.org. Our headlines are also available in Spanish for any radio station to take... and also in transcript form." There is something very powerful in Amy Goodman's reiteration of this public-ness of the show in every podcast. As I listen, I am grateful for the reminder of how available this information is, and therefore eager to encourage others to listen.

On a related note, I think that Democracy Now! is considered a highly liberal news show, and this is due as much to its form (community-created public media) as its content (US and world politics, especially surrounding issues of war and peace). The name "the War and Peace Report" suggests the liberal bent towards aknowledging "peace" as a necessary element in the discussion of "war." According to Hand-Held Visions, "the airwaves (and sattelite orbits) are full of propaganda, and it doesn't come from the Left" (257). Because the "normal" or "traditional" news media is innately commercial and conservative, it seems that any alternative means for media (i.e. community media) gaines a liberal association.

I guess that's just an observation, but I think it's interesting. As I study activist community theatre in my independent study I am struck by this same fact being true. There is a sense that political media is conseravtive and commercial, while political theatre is liberal and alternative. What would conservative political theatre look like? or, because the form of political theatre is non-commercial, is a conservative political theatre impossible? What would a liberal media look like? I think some would say it would look like Democracy Now!, but I would argue that this is liberal in form, and only when held against a conservative media core as a basis for comparison.

~Julia