Marvel as Democracy Now! anchor Amy Goodman reveals how she built the fiercely independent news program from a community radio-syndicated show run out of a broom closet into a globally watched TV broadcast without sacrificing her values and firm belief that the fourth estate should be a force for good.

2026
Steal This Story, Please!
Steal This Story, Please!
Director
Runtime
101 Minutes
Country
United States
Classification
Unclassified 15+
This, at home in the US, speaking out against the worst impulses of Presidents from Clinton to Trump, and abroad, including murderous clampdowns against protestors from East Timor to Uganda, and, most recently, the horrors of Israel’s war on Gaza. Building Democracy Now! up from a tiny outfit syndicated to community radio, to a still-small, but perfectly formed force that has expanded to TV, it’s often way ahead of its broligarch-owned mainstream competitors, despite relying entirely on the generosity of its audience. Behind the headlines, Trouble the Water (2008) filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s award-winning portrait shows exactly what it takes for Goodman to make it work, enduring both political stonewalling and double-speak, plus the occasional beating. You’ll also meet her loyal pup Zazu – named for the French resistance fighters, not The Lion King hornbill – in a bracing documentary that will have you asking: “What more can I do?”
“An impassioned argument for opinionated journalism that operates outside corporate media structures … Steal This Story, Please! makes a strong case that a plurality of independent outlets and more journalists, not fewer, are vital to a healthy democracy.”
The New York Times
“Goodman’s commitment to humanising the subjects of her stories exemplifies how one person can make a difference by using their voice to inspire others to stand up for what’s right in the world... She is, in a word, a badass.”
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
“The documentary’s filmmakers, Oscar nominees 18 years ago for Trouble the Water, do a fine job of corralling an exceptionally newsworthy career into an involving 98 minutes.”
reDocumented
“Stirring, unashamedly admiring … At a time when journalism itself is under scrutiny, the documentary’s chaotic energy and relentless forward drive should help it garner further attention.”
Screen International
Palm Springs – Audience Award
Telluride
Amsterdam
Sheffield
Sydney

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Film Credits
Director
Carl Deal & Tia Lessin
Year
2025
Country
United States
Language
English
Type
Feature Documentary
Program Strand
Change Award
Producer
Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Karen Ranucci, Diana Cohn & Caren Spruch
Cinematographer
Cliff Charles
Editor
Mona Davis
Music
Zoë Keating
Film Source
Antidote Films
Genre
Documentary, Human Rights, Politics & War
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