Amy Goodman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amy Goodman
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| Born | April 13, 1957 |
| Education | College of the Atlantic Radcliffe College (BA) |
| Awards | Right Livelihood Award |
| Career | |
| Show | Democracy Now! |
| Station(s) | 1,524 |
| Network | Pacifica Radio |
| Style | Investigative journalism |
Amy Goodman (born April 13, 1957) is an American journalist, writer, and reporter. She is known for her work as an investigative reporter, which means she digs deep to uncover important stories. Amy has reported on big events like the fight for independence in East Timor and issues involving large companies.
Since 1996, she has been the main host of Democracy Now!. This is a global news program that shares different viewpoints. You can watch or listen to it every day on radio, TV, and the internet. Amy has won many awards for her journalism. These include the Right Livelihood Award in 2008 and the Gandhi Peace Award in 2012. She has also written several books about important topics and social movements.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Amy Goodman was born in Bay Shore, New York, on Long Island. Her parents were involved in groups that worked for social change. Her father was an eye doctor, and her mother was a teacher and social worker. Amy has two brothers.
She finished Bay Shore High School in 1975. After high school, she studied at the College of the Atlantic in Maine for a year. Later, in 1984, she graduated from Radcliffe College at Harvard University. She earned a degree in anthropology, which is the study of human societies and cultures.
Reporting on Important Stories
Amy Goodman has spent her career reporting on stories that might not get much attention from other news outlets. She focuses on giving a voice to people who are often not heard.
Reporting from East Timor
In 1991, Amy Goodman traveled to East Timor to report on its fight for independence. While there, she and another journalist, Allan Nairn, witnessed a terrible event. They saw soldiers hurting many peaceful protesters in what became known as the Santa Cruz massacre. Amy and Allan were also badly beaten by the soldiers during this time.
Investigating Oil Companies in Nigeria
In 1998, Amy Goodman and journalist Jeremy Scahill looked into the actions of Chevron Corporation in Nigeria. They reported on a conflict between the Nigerian Army and villagers. These villagers had taken over oil equipment, saying the company was polluting their land.
During this standoff, two villagers were shot and killed. Chevron admitted that they had transported soldiers to the oil platform. The company said they asked for troops to protect their property. Amy Goodman and her team made a documentary about this event called Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship. This documentary won a George Polk Award in 1998.
A dean from the Annenberg School for Communication once said about Amy Goodman: "She sticks to the facts... She provides points of view that make you think, and she comes at it by saying: 'Who are we not hearing from in the traditional media?'"
About Democracy Now!
Amy Goodman helped start Democracy Now! The War and Peace Report in 1996. Before that, she had been the news director for a radio station in New York City for over ten years.
Many people see Democracy Now! as a very important news program. It is known for sharing news from a different perspective than many major news organizations.
Moving Locations
In 2001, the show had to move off the air for a short time because of disagreements within the radio station. It then moved to a converted firehouse, where it broadcast for almost eight years. Later, in 2009, Democracy Now! moved to a new studio in Manhattan.
Amy Goodman believes the show is successful because it fills a "huge niche." This means it covers stories and viewpoints that are often missed by mainstream news.
Interviewing President Clinton
In 2000, President Bill Clinton called a radio station for a quick message on Election Day. Amy Goodman and another journalist, Gonzalo Aburto, used this chance to ask him many questions. They asked about human rights, racial profiling, and other important issues. President Clinton defended his policies and said that Amy was "hostile and combative."
Reporting on Protests
Amy Goodman and her team often report directly from protest sites. This helps them show what is happening on the ground.
Reporting at the 2008 Republican Convention
During the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minnesota, some of Amy's colleagues from Democracy Now! were arrested. They were reporting on an anti-war protest. When Amy tried to find out what happened to them, she was also arrested.
She and her colleagues were later released, and the charges were dropped. Amy Goodman and her team then filed a lawsuit against the police departments. They said their arrests were illegal. The police departments settled the case and agreed to pay $100,000. They also agreed to teach officers about the rights of journalists and the public.
Border Incident in Canada
In November 2009, Amy Goodman and two colleagues were stopped at the Canadian border. They were going to a meeting in Vancouver. Border officials asked them about what they planned to discuss at the meeting.
They were eventually allowed to enter Canada. However, customs authorities took photos of Amy and inspected her colleague's computer. They also put a special note in her passport saying she had to leave Canada within 48 hours.
Covering the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests
In 2016, Amy Goodman reported on the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in North Dakota. Her reports showed security guards using pepper spray and dogs on protesters.
Her reporting helped bring more attention to the protests. Many people, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, supported her right to report on these events.
Awards and Recognitions
Amy Goodman has received many awards for her important work as a journalist.
- In 1993, she won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for International Reporting.
- In 1998, she received the George Polk Award.
- In 1999, she chose not to accept an Overseas Press Club Award. She did this to protest how the group was honoring Indonesia, even though its forces had hurt reporters.
- She received the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage in 2001.
- In 2004, she was given the Islamic Community Award for Journalism and the Thomas Merton Award.
- In 2006, she received the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship.
- In 2008, she was a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award. This award recognized her for creating a new way of independent journalism. It helps millions of people hear voices that are often ignored by mainstream media.
- In 2009, she received the first Izzy Award for "special achievement in independent media."
- In 2012, she received an honorary degree from DePauw University. She also received the Gandhi Peace Award for helping to promote lasting international peace.
- In 2014, she received another honorary degree from Purchase College, SUNY.
- In 2015, she received the I.F. Stone Lifetime Achievement Award from Harvard.
- In 2016, Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! won a Sigma Delta Chi Award for their coverage of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.
- In 2019, she received the Frederick Douglass 200 award.
- In 2023, she was honored with the William Sloane Coffin "Peacemaker Award."
Personal Life
In 2007, Amy Goodman had a health issue called Bell's palsy. She also practices yoga.
Film Work
In 2006, Amy Goodman narrated a film called One Bright Shining Moment: The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern. This documentary was about the life of a retired politician named George McGovern. It focused on his attempt to become president in 1972.
See Also
In Spanish: Amy Goodman para niños
- List of peace activists
- New Yorkers in journalism
Images for kids
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Amy Goodman
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Goodman speaking at Power to the Peaceful Festival, San Francisco, 2004
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Democracy Now's Amy Goodman gives a keynote address at the 2013 National Conference for Media Reform in Denver, Colorado.
