She’ll be joined by Denis Moynihan, a Colorado-based journalist and frequent contributor to the show. They will be in Flagstaff on Wednesday, in Tempe Thursday afternoon, and in Tucson Thursday night. (More details below.)
Goodman’s visit to Arizona is part of a 100-city speaking tour intended to celebrate “the 20th anniversary of Democracy Now!" and the people and movements that "have moved our democracy forward" throughout history.
In the last two decades, Democracy Now! has grown from a small independent radio show to a large (and still independent) daily radio and television show.
For those not familiar with the program, it’s famous for covering under-reported stories and areas of the globe – or, as the show puts it, “people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.”
Goodman, a political icon of the liberals and progressives, has been all over social media this week for a video she made with AJ+ in which she calls out the mainstream media for its lack of critical analysis and hard-hitting reporting:
“All we get is static – that veil of distortion and lies and misrepresentations and half-truths that obscure reality,” she says.
“It is critical in an election year to hear how policies affect people on the ground. Not to get the pundits, but to get the people themselves … We need a media that covers power, not covers for power.”
And speaking of elections, Goodman has talked a lot about voter suppression and the gutting of the Voting Rights Act recently, meaning there’s a strong chance she’ll discuss the botched Arizona presidential preference election during her stops in the state.
For a taste of what she may have to say, consider what she told a reporter from the University of New Mexico’s radio station KUNM about Arizona’s PPE:
“[Maricopa County] cut out 140 voting stations on Election Day — you know, from 200 to 60. People had to wait five hours. So many people can’t do that. They work. Maybe they’re older. Maybe they’re infirm.
“This is a real violation of people’s right to vote. And the reason given was, oh, Arizona wanted to save some money.
“Really?
“Cutting the polling places from 200 to 60?
“Well, if they wanted to save money, why bother opening any polling place at all? I’m sorry. I think what we’re talking about is a real threat to democracy. And it’s happening across the country, and it’s got to be challenged.”
For more information about Goodman's events, or to reserve tickets, check out the following links:
- April 27 at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff (7 pm)
- April 28 at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe (12 pm)
- April 28 at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson (7 pm)
