Amy Goodman: prolific writer, crusader for justice and… Flobots fan?

Internationally-respected journalist, radio/TV host and author Amy Goodman has routinely put her life and reputation on the line for the cause of justice, but even something as innocuous as a book tour (for her latest, “Breaking the Sound Barrier”) is apparently threatening to some people.

Just yesterday, Goodman was reportedly detained and questioned at the Canadian border for over an hour in advance of an author event in Vancouver — which in turn delayed our little e-mail interview with her.

Fortunately, Goodman was able to answer the questions we had for her today about her Boulder appearance on Saturday, the state of the political union (or disunion, as it were) and what keeps her occupied and entertained on the road.

I last saw you speak at the Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Denver in 2005 — which practically seems like eons ago from a political-climate standpoint — and I see you’re appearing at a church in Boulder for your book event. What about churches makes them good venues?

Churches have wonderful spaces for delivering lectures, which are typically used just once a week. I typically speak at events that benefit public broadcasters that carry “Democracy Now!” — we have done events in Denver for KGNU 88.5 FM/1390 AM, KBDI Ch. 12, Free Speech TV and Denver Open Media, which recently renamed itself the Open Media Foundation. These independent media organizations operate on a shoestring, and need to find the best available, affordable space — which is why were are often in churches and public libraries.

What question are you asked most frequently when you do live events and book signings?

Interesting you should ask. But speaking of questions, let me share what happened Wednesday night when I was detained at the Canadian border. Heading to a talk I was giving at the Vancouver Public Library, the Canadian Border Patrol pulled me over and demanded to know “What will you be speaking about?” They demanded my notes, and interrogated me at the border patrol crossing. I gave them my new book of columns, “Breaking the Sound Barrier,” and said I would read columns from it, beginning with the last one about Tommy Douglas, the premier of Saskatchewan, considered the greatest Canadian — the man who brought universal health insurance to Canada — he’s the grandfather of actor Kiefer Sutherland. That didn’t satisfy the guard. He demanded, “What else?” I said global warming. “What else?” he repeated. Global economic meltdown. Again, “What else?” The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I said. Still not satisfied as they input my answers into the computer, he asked if I would be speaking about the Olympics. I was surprised by the question and said I hadn’t planned to. He didn’t believe me. They searched the car, scrutinized my colleagues’ computers and rifled through our papers.

It was an extremely disturbing experience. Not only personally, but for all journalists. What kind of message does this send. It’s not only a violation of freedom of the press, but if journalists are afraid they will be monitored, scrutinized and detained, it will limit what they cover and that’s a violation of the public’s right to know. My detention and interrogation became a leading story in Canada as groups are increasingly concerned about the crackdown ahead of the 2010 Olympics in Canada.

Outside of the authorities, people pose an amazing array of questions, and a hunger for information. People often ask how we find the stories that we cover on “Democracy Now!,” since they are often so different than what they find from other news sources. Interviewing single-payer health care advocates should not be unusual, but the national corporate networks rarely do it. Or the swelling ranks of antiwar active duty military members and among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. We also chronicle stories from the front lines of the climate change debate, like the people locking themselves to heavy equipment to stop mountain top removal coal mining in West Virginia, or the Utah student who bid on BLM land near Arches National Park, outbidding gas companies, which ultimately led Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to void that auction — these stories are available to the mainstream media, but they choose not to cover them. That is the importance of independent media.

How do you feel Democracy Now! has changed over the years as a program?

We have hit two landmarks: we are now broadcasting on over 800 public television and radio stations, with TV broadcasts in Japan, South Africa, Austria, Sweden and radio broadcasts throughout the world. We have just built and moved into “Democracy Now’s” new permanent home — the greenest TV/radio/Internet studio in the country (with the help of the Rocky Mountain Institute). We are looking forward to training the next generation of independent journalists, as well as broadcasting “Democracy Now!” in Spanish and other languages.

Since we began in 1996, we have been at the forefront of the digital transformation in the news industry — streaming and posting media files online. A very important and complex development has been the transition from a radio program to a fully-produced TV/radio show that is also widely available on just about every platform and format on the Internet. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to fair, accurate, hard-hitting journalism, holding accountable those in power — regardless of party affiliation.

Besides obvious things like blogs, mobile devices, online news alerts, etc., what do you see as replacing the daily newspaper as it continues its steady commercial decline? What are the talking heads missing when they talk about the disappearance of traditional journalism?

As we have discussed on “Democracy Now!,” with our co-host Juan Gonzalez, who has been a newspaper reporter and columnist for decades and knows the business down cold, newspapers are declining, but not because they are not profitable — the profits, generally, have declined, for a number of reasons, but the main problem is that the investors have become accustomed to 20 to 30 percent profits — so many entities have bought papers, with debt, and have been unable to squeeze the profits they want out of the papers and meet the debt burden. So they layoff thousands of journalists and support staffers. That is the true crisis. There has been significant discussion about the “new business models” that might support journalism, including “nonprofit news.”

We have been doing nonprofit journalism for 14 years at “Democracy Now!,” developing sustainable, economical practices and refusing advertising. While delivery of news is becoming largely electronic, replacing the printed paper that is less timely than online news and much more costly to produce, we need to support and sustain newsrooms. There is a reason why the press is explicitly protected in the Bill of Rights — democracy requires a strong, independent media to be a check on power.

Historians frequently write about the cyclical nature of social progress, and a look back certainly reinforces that. Now almost a year into the Obama era, where do you see the U.S. in terms of social progress vs. stagnation? Does the renewed divisiveness in politics in many ways put us back where we started in the Bush era?

Pres. Obama campaigned on a message of Change, but we have seen since he took office two key phenomena: the enormous influence of corporate donors and lobbyists over the legislative process, and the escalation of the war in Afghanistan, including the drone attacks on civilian populations in Pakistan. The insurance companies, big pharma, medical equipment manufacturers poured $1.4 million per day into subverting the public debate on health care reform. The oil, gas and coal industries are spending $300,000 a day to derail climate change legislation. With that amount of money flowing in to Washington, and with our electoral system’s dependence on money, the executive and legislative branches of government are, with the exception of a few individuals, largely held hostage.

Pres. Obama as well seems to be heading deeper into a quagmire in Afghanistan — one that will continue to take an enormous toll on the U.S. service men and women, and which will continue the death and disruption to the lives of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pres. Obama should listen to those millions who helped elect him, most of whom oppose the U.S. war and occupation in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

On a lighter note: Who are some musicians or writers you’re currently checking out that might surprise some of your audience members?

We feature the work of great musicians like Pete Seeger and Native American singer songwriter Buffy St. Marie, who we had on the show for the hour on Thanksgiving Day, to emerging artists like the Front Range’s own Flobots. We have been told by musicians that being featured on “Democracy Now!” is one of the only remaining ways to get significant national attention, with the increasing consolidation of radio stations. We have featured a brilliant young Somali-Canadian Rapper K’naan, who fled the civil war in his home country, and whose song, “Waving Flag” will be the theme of the next World Cup.

Your current tour takes you through New York in December. What are three things you never hit the road without?

Books, my phone, my laptop… oh, and coffee.

Who are three people you’d like to interview but have never been able to (for whatever reason)?

I would (like to do) an extended interview with Aung San Suu Kyi, imprisoned in Burma. I regret never having interviewed Johnny Cash before he died, who had a fascinating life and cared deeply about social justice. I wish I was old enough to have interviewed Dr. King. And I would like to have an extensive one-on-one with Presidents Obama and Bush. I know you just said three, but I also wish I had spent hours on tape interviewing my mother, Dorrie Bock Goodman, before she died on Oct. 5. I dedicate “Breaking the Sound Barrier” to her, the most remarkable woman I have ever known.

For more information on Goodman’s Saturday appearance at 7 p.m. at the Boulder Unity Church, visit “Democracy Now!” online.

John Wenzel is the editor of Get Real Denver, co-editor of the Reverb music blog and an arts and entertainment reporter for The Denver Post. His book “Mock Stars: Indie Comedy and the Dangerously Funny” was recently published by Speck Press. He also maintains a Twitter feed of random song titles.