In a world of constant media consolidation, independent journalism is more important than ever.
That argument is at the center of “Steal This Story, Please,” a new documentary premiering in New York City this weekend, profiling Amy Goodman’s multiple decades as a trailblazing journalist and heartbeat of the daily news program “Democracy Now!”
Oscar-nominated directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal followed Goodman, known for chasing stories to far-flung corners of the globe, and scoured three decades of video material, field recordings and studio recordings.
“In fact, we wore out probably a couple pair of sneakers trying just that. Our original title of the film was going to be Chasing Amy, but that was taken,” Lessin joked Thursday ahead of a preview screening at IFC Center in Manhattan.
“They wove this seamless tapestry that I was stunned by,” Goodman said of the co-directors.
The result is a 102-minute exploration of the power of independent journalism, told through the “Democracy Now!” host and many of her long-time collaborators. The documentary courses through Goodman’s career, highlighting reporting on the East Timor massacre in 1991 and the Dakota Access Pipeline protest in 2016.
Goodman said it was her coverage of such stories that motivates the film’s title. As one of the only journalists in North Dakota covering the protests, Goodman’s video of violence against the protesters generated millions of views and helped springboard nationwide coverage by larger outlets.
“We’re saying steal this story, please, because independent media is essential to the functioning of a democratic society,” Goodman told NBC New York.
“Our motto is go to where the silence is, and it is often not silent: it is rowdy, it’s raucous, people are organizing. But all of that is missed by the—it doesn’t register on the corporate media radar screen.”
The documentary also covers the origins of “Democracy Now!,” its resiliency in the face of consolidation, and ability to change mediums from its start in radio to television and the internet.
“We were making this film at the time, you know, this was a few years after Donald Trump called the press the enemy of the people and the assault on the press in this country were relentless,” Deal said.
“We became, you know, mostly really interested in Amy’s practice of journalism, how she sustains it and how her model, her independent model, you know, is different from the mainstream, the commercial media, at a time when so much of the media is beholden to the, you know, the Trump administration and trying to create favor.”
“Steal This Story, Please” is, too, a piece of independent work. The documentary is being distributed independently in 80 cities across the United States. Lessin said audiences are hungry for filmmaking that speaks to the political moment of today.
“Our experience on the road with this film on the festival circuit has been exhilarating because audiences are hungry for this story. They’re hungry for, I think, films that speak to this political moment and so we are excited about this independent route,” Lessin said.
“Steal This Story, Please” premieres at New York City’s IFC Center this weekend with a dozen Q&As, some moderated by Susan Sarandon and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Its directors relish the opportunity to meet fans in the theater.
“I think it is community that’s going to get us through these times. And we all need to join community. And if it’s at the theater, all the better,” Deal said.