Media must counter the scapegoating of Muslims, says U.S. journalist Amy
Goodman
Goodman, the principal host of syndicated radio, TV and online program Democracy Now! (www.democracynow.org) and one of North America's leading progressive journalists, is the guest on this weekend's edition of the Joytv 10 current affairs flagship The Standard.
The Standard airs
In an interview with The Standard's host, Peter W. Klein, Goodman says the media have a responsibility to challenge the deliberate marginalization of Muslims that has taken place since the terrorist attacks of
"I don't think it's a clash of civilizations," she says. "I think this is fiercely political. The targeting and scapegoating of certain sectors of society -- the only way it can continue is when people don't know it's taking place. That's why the media is so important. That's why it's so critical to broadcast the voices of Palestinian children, Israeli grandmothers, Iraqi aunts, Afghan uncles ... to hear them speak, to describe their own experience. I think that's the only way to break down stereotypes that fuel hate groups or allow certain sectors to continue to be targeted."
Goodman also calls for a new investigation into the events of
Goodman, whose newest book is entitled Breaking the Sound Barrier, made headlines last November when she was detained at the Canadian border while on her way to a speaking engagement in
"It's not only a violation of freedom of the press," she says of the incident. "It also violates the public's right to know. Because when reporters are harassed or detained, it makes it more difficult to get out information -- and that is harmful to the public overall. It's harmful to the functioning of a democratic society."
Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Peter W. Klein, a veteran of CBS's 60 Minutes, is the host of The Standard. Produced in
For more on The Standard, please visit http://thestandardtv.ca or http://thestandardwithklein.ning.com/
For further information: Media contact: David Todd, Media Relations Manager, Joytv, [email protected], (416) 368-3194 ext 207, For more Joytv 10 programming information, please visit www.joytv.ca, Follow Joytv on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Joytv
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