Amy Goodman, the long-established broadcaster who has dedicated four decades confronting power through self-directed news coverage, is the subject of a new documentary that showcases her bold approach to news gathering. Steal This Story, Please!, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, charts the 69-year-old’s career at Democracy Now!, the daily broadcast she launched in New York that reaches audiences across the US, Canada and elsewhere. The film emerges as Goodman undertakes a schedule of screenings and engagements across the UK, presenting a portrait of a news reporter who has continually upheld her editorial freedom, operating without advertising, sponsorship or public funds, and investigating stories from environmental summits to environmental catastrophes to warfare with steadfast determination.
The Philosophy Behind Democracy Now!
At the core of Goodman’s work lies a deceptively simple but radical principle: exclusives are failures. If a story matters enough to tell, it matters enough to make available to everyone. This philosophy informs everything Democracy Now! produces, from in-depth investigations to interview segments. Rather than chasing exclusive stories or withholding facts, Goodman’s team prioritises placing important stories before the public, ensuring that significant stories find the largest audience. It is an approach that directly contradicts the competitive logic of conventional news media, where breaking news first is often considered the ultimate prize.
The practical expression of this philosophy is Democracy Now!’s unique financial approach and editorial independence. The programme accepts no advertising, sponsorship or government grants, relying instead entirely on audience contributions. This funding arrangement allows Goodman to cover stories without the limitations placed by commercial interests or partisan agendas. When reporting on war, the programme is not funded by weapons manufacturers; when covering the climate catastrophe, it does not answer to oil, gas or coal companies. This independence is far more than a nice-to-have feature but rather the essential foundation upon which the entire journalistic purpose rests.
- No advertising, sponsorship, sponsorship or public subsidies permitted
- Stories distributed worldwide rather than restricted to specific audiences
- Publishing autonomy from corporate and political influences
- Financed completely through audience contributions
Recording Events: The East Timor Massacre That Established a Life’s Work
In 1991, Goodman’s career took a pivotal turn when she journeyed to East Timor to chronicle the Indonesian military’s violent occupation of the territory. What she observed in the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili would prove to be a defining moment in her career as a journalist. On 12 November that year, Indonesian soldiers began shooting on a peaceful funeral procession, killing over 270 people in what became known as the Santa Cruz massacre. Goodman’s coverage of the scene, carried out at considerable personal risk, drew global focus to atrocities that had hitherto been widely overlooked by Western news organisations. Her willingness to go where other journalists feared to tread established her reputation as someone willing to bear witness to power’s most brutal expressions.
The massacre footage and interviews Goodman collected became crucial evidence of Indonesian military crimes and contributed significantly to the eventual international pressure that resulted in East Timor’s independence in 2002. Her presence at such a pivotal moment illustrated the power of independent journalism to document historical events that might otherwise be erased or minimised. The experience solidified her conviction that journalists have a responsibility not merely to cover the news, but to make certain that the voices of the marginalised and the victims of state violence are heard on the international platform. It was a lesson that would shape every subsequent investigation she conducted.
A Significant Milestone in Worldwide News Coverage
The East Timor reporting boosted Goodman’s reputation internationally and showed that freelance reporting could rival established news organisations in covering significant global events. Leading news organisations had predominantly dismissed or understated the Indonesian military’s conduct, making Goodman’s journalism particularly important. Her determination to put truth-telling over government favour or media access became her hallmark. The situation illustrated that editorial autonomy was considerably more than a theoretical stance but a vital need for covering stories that influential states and large corporations preferred to keep hidden from public view.
Following East Timor, Goodman went on to conduct examinations of conflicts and human rights abuses worldwide, always maintaining the equivalent resolve to documenting events that had defined her work in Dili. Whether covering the impact of natural disasters, documenting violations of international law, or examining ecological damage, she applied the identical courageous methodology to her journalism. The Santa Cruz massacre had taught her that exclusive access to power was of lesser importance than rigorous recording of what power produces. This approach became essential to Democracy Now!’s editorial direction and continues to guide her journalism many years later.
Speaking Truth to Power: Across Climate Conferences and Conflict Reporting
Goodman’s approach to journalism is exemplified in her pursuit of accountability at global venues where power operates with considerable freedom from consequences. At the 2018 UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, she relentlessly pursued P Wells Griffith III, then serving as Donald Trump’s climate adviser, to answer direct inquiries about the administration’s denial of climate science. When Griffith sought to avoid her questions by retreating into the US delegation suite, Goodman’s persistence illustrated a core tenet: that those in power must not be allowed to escape questioning simply because they regard questioning unwelcome. Her refusal to accept evasion as an answer established that the role of independent journalism is to ensure those in power are held accountable, irrespective of whether that power is prepared to engage.
This confrontational style applies to Goodman’s treatment of armed conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, where she demands highlighting voices that mainstream media outlets routinely marginalise. By rejecting corporate sponsorship and advertising revenue, Democracy Now! preserves journalistic independence to cover stories that vested interests would wish to suppress. Whether recording armed conflicts, examining corporate ecological harm, or exposing human rights abuses, Goodman operates from the conviction that media professionals must situate themselves at the nexus of authority and those affected. Her willingness to be arrested whilst reporting, to chase difficult realities, and to amplify silenced voices has positioned her as a exemplar of independent journalism in an period of media industry consolidation.
- Pursues transparency at international summits where powerful figures seek to evade scrutiny
- Preserves editorial independence by declining commercial backing and advertising revenue
- Documents stories that mainstream media outlets consistently dismiss or sideline
Use This Story, Please!: Preserving a Publishing History
The documentary Steal This Story, Please! functions as a thorough exploration of Amy Goodman’s four-decade career in freelance journalism, tracing her evolution from grassroots radio host to the originator of Democracy Now!, a internationally syndicated daily news show. Helmed by Academy Award-nominated directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, the film showcases Goodman’s conviction that consequential news should be circulated internationally rather than kept as exclusive reports. Via close engagement to her documentation spanning climate summits, humanitarian crises, and political conventions, the documentary builds a depiction of a journalist whose dedication to transparency has stayed steadfast despite the changing terrain of American media.
What defines Goodman’s strategy, as shown across the film, is her fundamental belief that journalism’s chief duty is to give voice to marginalised communities rather than serve corporate interests. By rejecting advertising funds, corporate sponsorships and state funding, Democracy Now! has maintained editorial autonomy that allows Goodman to cover stories others regard as too controversial or commercially unviable. The film documents her unwavering commitment to accountability, her readiness to face arrest whilst reporting, and her conviction that power must be held accountable to public accountability. These factors combine to present independent journalism not as a specialist pursuit, but as an crucial safeguard to centralised media dominance.
30 Years of Democracy Today!
Since founding Democracy Now! in New York, Goodman has built a news operation that serves audiences throughout the United States, Canada, and internationally through digital channels and community radio stations. The programme’s daily hour-long format allows for in-depth journalism that commercial news outlets seldom provide, facilitating deeper investigation into ecological damage, military operations, and rights abuses. Supported exclusively through viewer donations, Democracy Now! demonstrates how autonomous news operations can remain viable without compromising editorial integrity to advertisers or business interests.
The Persistent Purpose: Elevating Perspectives at the Intended End
Throughout her 40 years in journalism, Goodman has regularly placed herself at what she calls “the target end” of power structures. Rather than maintaining the safe distance that many traditional news reporters adopt, she pursues accountability with an intensity that has resulted in her arrest whilst reporting on major political events, such as the Republican National Convention in 2008. This willingness to be in the line of fire reflects her belief that journalists should directly confront those in power, not simply watch them from a safe distance. The documentary captures this philosophy in action, showing Goodman relentlessly pursuing officials who attempt to evade scrutiny, transforming their refusal to engage into a narrative of its own.
Goodman’s strategy transcends confrontational reporting to include a stronger dedication to securing marginalised communities have their voices heard on the global stage. Whether documenting the consequences of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, revealing ecological damage at climate summits, or probing military operations, she approaches each story as an platform for amplifying those commonly marginalised from dominant narratives. This mission demands both bravery and determination—qualities abundantly evident in Steal This Story, Please! The documentary finally presents Goodman’s career not as a personal achievement, but as a demonstration of how self-directed media can strengthen democratic systems by maintaining power stays answerable to public oversight.