Steal This Story, Please!
2026

Steal This Story, Please!

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.

Director

Carl Deal
Tia Lessin

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

Film Credits

Director

Carl Deal & Tia Lessin

Year

2025

Country

United States

Language

English

Type

Feature Documentary

Program Strand

Change Award

Producer

Carl DealTia LessinKaren RanucciDiana Cohn & Caren Spruch

Cinematographer

Cliff Charles

Editor

Mona Davis

Music

Zoë Keating

Film Source

Antidote Films

Genre

DocumentaryHuman RightsPolitics & War

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