By Taylor Paraboschi

Amy Goodman, an investigative journalist for WBAI-FM and the TV show “Democracy Now” shared her views on the news media and the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at the University last Thursday.

She was arrested at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., citing her incident as an example of journalists being censored.

Goodman used anecdotes to contrast what she portrayed as vast injustices. “And it wasn’t just the Democratic reporters that were getting arrested either,” Goodman said. “There was a reporter from The New York Post who got arrested at the Republican National Convention and as they were arresting him, all he kept on shouting was ‘I work for The New York Post! It’s a Republican Paper!'”

Journalists today have more of an embedded perspective of the war and our involvement today than ever before, Goodman said. “By embedding reporters in with the soldiers in Iraq, making them bathe and live with them, makes them more likely to have a biased opinion on the war and how it is run,” she said.

Goodman also talked about how journalists need to have an impartial view on national news, and how commitment to journalistic integrity is of utmost importance.

“She definitely got her point across that the press is being held down and the fact that the power of the press is not being respected,” said freshman Christian Walton.

Goodman said because there is a tendency toward slant and bias in journalism today, people should get their news from multiple sources. That way the public can have a more balanced view of what is going on in the world, she said.

She also encouraged the public to actively participate in the gathering of knowledge.

“Go look for news and opinions instead of having it fed to you,” she said.

Left to right, David Donte Trout, J.D. school of law discusses “Heritage or Hate? The Confederate Flag” documentary with director Gregory Smith and journalism professor Krystal Brent Zook. (Jeff Herman)