Democracy Now! (2001– )

I usually listen to the "Democracy Now!" radio broadcast, but I do occasionally get to see the TV show, and I've liked it every time. Featuring Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez reporting on things going on in the world, you can tell that they take journalism seriously (among other things, Amy Goodman doesn't focus on her looks). Seeing that it started in 2001, I suspect that they launched it to challenge the support-America-no-matter-what zeitgeist that arose after the September 11 attacks and scared all other media outlets into submission. Though such a mentality has subsided in the six years since (actually, it'll be the six year anniversary in four days), it's a good thing that they challenge the party line.

The most recent TV broadcast that I saw featured an interview with City Lights bookstore owner Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and he recounted stories of the Beat generation. This episode certainly offered a glimpse into the world of honest journalism that "Democracy Now!" represents. I would say that anyone who actually cares about democracy should at least listen to the radio broadcast and watch the TV show if possible. I consider this one (along with "The Daily Show" and "Real Time with Bill Maher") the most reliable media source of all. Of course, I realize that the Bush lovers out there wouldn't even give it the time of day.