At the beginning of May 2018 the Union for Democratic Communications held a conference in Chicago on Media, Resistance, and Justice. It was attended by journalists, media producers, policy analysts, academics and activists. They want to stem the tide of misinformation and omission.
The Internet and alternative independent broadcasters have made some extraordinary contributions, but compared to the millions reached by for profit broadcasters they have only small audiences.
Abby Martin bridges both worlds – however the networks she was and is affiliated with, Russia Today – RT and teleSUR, are shunned and denigrated by the current US government and the corporate media.
Born In Oakland in 1984 Abby Martin had already started her own anti-war citizen journalism project in 2009 with the still active web site: Media Roots. Then the Occupy movement began in late 2011. Russia Today, RT, was the only TV network that had a dedicated presence in Oakland. Abby Martin became liaison for Occupy Oakland. She was invited to join the Washington DC bureau of RT, connecting with Chris Hedges who still works there. Her program: Breaking the Set ran for three years until 2015. from 2012 to 2015.
Today she is hosting The Empire Files from New York City with distribution on the satellite TV network teleSUR.
Abby Martin spoke on May 11, 2018 about her experience at RT and press freedom; reporting from Palestine and covering Venezuela. And she explained the rational for her current show “Empire Files”.
Thanks to the Union for Democratic Communications and to Dale Lehman from WZRD for the recording.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:00 — 19.9MB)
