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On this week's program, Mickey welcomes back author and media critic Alan MacLeod for the hour. MacLeod describes the close ties between the major Silicon Valley technology companies and the US military/security establishment. Among the examples he cites lucrative government contracts given to some of Elon Musk's companies (Starlink); the cooperation of Facebook, Twitter and other web giants in suppressing critical opinions (“censorship by proxy”); and multiple instances of U.S. intelligence officials moving into high-ranking executive positions at the tech companies often to allegedly curate "mis- and disinformation.” They discuss what’s being called the “military-entertainment complex" and note that some video games, notably Activision's "Call of Duty," are designed to inculcate pro-intervention, jingoist attitudes in the young people who play these games, which function as a form of propaganda or mass psy-op in support of US/NATO wars. Notes: Alan Macleod, Ph.D., is a senior staff writer at MintPress News, and the author of two books on journalism.  He writes extensively about media bias, propaganda, censorship, and fake news. Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay

It was recently Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and some may have noticed the US empire and its racist, capitalist, and imperialist cheerleaders were also cheerleading for Dr. King. If this made you angry, confused, or just curious as to what Dr. King’s legacy actually is in the context of US empire, you’re in the right place. Eleanor Goldfield hosts this week’s program and begins by speaking with Jacqueline Luqman to discuss Dr. King’s real legacy, what got him killed, what's missing from the story, and how we can truly honor Dr. King. Next, Setareh Ghandehari from Detention Watch Network joins the show to walk listeners through the Biden administration’s “updates” to immigration policy, which as Setareh points out, are hardly updates but rather a continuation of right-wing, xenophobic, anti-immigrant and also failed policies that will cause immeasurable harm to thousands. All this and more coming up now on this week's Project Censored Show. Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

Kevin Gosztola returns to the program to explain the latest developments in the Julian Assange extradition case. Although Assange remains in a UK prison, there have been political developments elsewhere in the world that may influence the outcome of the case, including in Assange’s home country, Australia. He and Mickey also address the Twitter Files and note key differences between how these are being handled. Gosztola then reminds listeners of some of the documents Assange brought to light via WikiLeaks over the years and what his prosecution means for free press principles. Later in the show, independent journalist Sam Husseini speaks with Mickey about working to uncover the truth when both politicians and corporate media circumvent or suppress it. Husseini notes an unwillingness among reporters to ask tough but important questions about major topics. Among the examples he cites include the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the nuclear weapon ban treaty from a Trump/Putin press conference in Helsinki, and the possible origin of the coronavirus in a Wuhan lab. He notes how these and other pertinent questions are either not asked, or become distorted into a Trump-vs-Democrats type of argument that is then often dismissed. Notes: Kevin Gosztola is the managing editor of Shadowproof. He has covered the Julian Assange legal proceedings in the UK from its beginning, as well as other press-freedom and whistleblower cases. His new book on the Assange case, Guilty of Journalism, will soon be available in bookstores. Gosztola also curates the newsletter for The Dissenter and co-hosts the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast. Sam Husseini is an independent journalist whose work can be found at husseini.substack.com. He has also worked at the Institute for Public Accuracy, the media watch group FAIR, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and been published in The Nation, Counterpunch, and elsewhere. Music-break Information: 1) "Glad / Freedom Rider" by Traffic 2) "Blowin' In The Wind" by Neil Young 3) "Abacab" by Genesis the Project Censored Show: Hosts: Mickey Huff & Eleanor Goldfield Producers: Anthony Fest & Eleanor Goldfield   Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

With the U.S. having a military presence in nearly every African nation, Dr. Rose Brewer, a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of African-American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota and member of the Black Alliance for Peace, makes the case for "U.S. out of Africa." Brewer faults the Congressional Black Caucus for failing to challenge the military-industrial complex's agendas either at home or abroad. Then, why do why African American women die in childbirth at a much higher rate than white women? In examining this question, Sam Sewell, a midwife and reproductive rights activist, points to many biases and failures in the American system of health care. Both of these human rights stories, and their broader themes, lack significant in-depth coverage by the corporate media in the U.S. Eleanor Goldfield hosts this week’s program and shines a light on these important underreported topics. Notes: Dr. Rose Brewer is a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of African-American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota, and a member of the Black Alliance for Peace. Sam Sewell is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) practicing in the Washington DC area. She's been a board member at NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, and at the Arlington Commission on the Status of Women. Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

The first Project Censored Show of 2023 is devoted to climate change, and the oil industry's obstruction of policies that would seriously confront the climate crisis. The speakers on the program are former NASA scientist James Hansen, pioneering climate-change writer Bill McKibben, and Canadian environmental journalist Geoff Dembicki. They were interviewed in December by artist and independent curator M. Annenberg, in conjunction with an environmental-art exhibition at New York's Ceres Gallery. Notes: Dr. James Hansen was for many years the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and is now at Columbia University. Author Bill McKibben's 1989 book, "The End of Nature" was the first book on climate change for the general reader. Journalist Geoff Dembicki is the author of "The Petroleum Papers," a compilation of oil industry documents showing the industry's efforts to confuse the public about the causes of climate change. Image by Kanenori from Pixabay

In the first half of today's program, Mickey speaks with Project Censored's Andy Lee Roth about some of the “Top 25” censored / under-reported news stories, as well as the common characteristics of these stories. Later in the show, Nolan Higdon and Mickey examine some of the developments since Elon Musks' takeover of Twitter. They also discuss the recent declassification of another batch of JFK-assassination documents, and what they show about federal officials' relations with the press. Notes: Andy Lee Roth is Associate Director of Project Censored, co-editor of the Project's annual volume of censored stories, and co-coordinator of the Project's Campus Affiliates Program. He has published widely on media issues. Nolan Higdon is a university lecturer in media studies and history. He's also the author of "The Anatomy of Fake News,"   Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Mickey, Eleanor and their guests spend the hour examining the background to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, going back to the eastward expansion of NATO, the 2014 Ukraine coup, and other factors. Their guests, both long-time peace activists, make the case for a cessation of arms shipments to Ukraine, and a negotiated end to the war. In the first half of the show, Eleanor interviews Phil Wilayto. Then we hear excerpts of a conversation Mickey had with Medea Benjamin at a KPFA-FM / Project Censored event in Berkeley, CA earlier this month. Notes: Phil Wilayto is cofounder of Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality, as well as the Virginia Prison Justice Network. He's also coordinator of the Odessa Solidarity Campaign , and the author of several books, including Notes from Iran. Medea Benjamin co-founded both the women's peace organization Code Pink and the fair-trade group Global Exchange. Her recent books, include Inside Iran and Kingdom of the Unjust. Her latest book is War in Ukraine, co-authored with Nicholas Davies, and published by OR Books. Music-break information: "Blasting Cap" by Preston Reed Image by Peace,love,happiness from Pixabay

This edition of the Project Censored Show we feature two of the country's best-known peace advocates, each with a new book out. First, Medea Benjamin discusses the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasizing aspects that US corporate media are not covering. Then we hear a rebroadcast of a September interview with author Chris Hedges, where he related some of the stories told in his new book, "The Greatest Evil Is War." Notes: Medea Benjamin co-founded both the women's peace organization Code Pink and the fair-trade group Global Exchange. Her recent books, include "Inside Iran" and "Kingdom of the Unjust." Her latest book is "War in Ukraine," co-authored with Nicholas Davies, and published by OR Books. Chris Hedges is a former New York Times foreign correspondent and a prolific author. His latest book, "The Greatest Evil Is War," is based on interviews with dozens of victims of war, including wounded veterans, families of soldiers, and civilian survivors of battle.

In this episode of the Project Censored Show, your host Eleanor Goldfield discusses war and fascist violence - from the very personal history of a presidential candidate to the streets of Hebron. She first sits down with army veteran and investigative reporter/producer Mike Prysner to discuss his latest work digging into the sordid past of Ron DeSantis, a man whose path to state (and possibly soon to be federal) power has been paved with horrific war crimes and torture, which up until now he has been able to avoid consequences. She then sits down with professor, artist, and activist Adam Broomberg to discuss his personal relationship with apartheid - from growing up in South Africa to now battling the state of Israel, on behalf of , but not least of all, for his fellow Jews. Broomberg compares the apartheid states of his youth and his present, and discusses how to broach the topic of zionism within your Jewish families. Song: Bahrek Gaza by Mohammed Assaf Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mickey opens this week's program in conversation with Aaron Good; they examine the post-WWII U.S. rise to global dominance, and how that underlies many of our current events, notably the Russia-Ukraine-NATO conflict. In the second half of the show, Eleanor Goldfield speaks with Chris Garaffa about the prospects for stronger net-neutrality protections in the months ahead, as well as the broader issue of how to "democratize the internet." Aaron Good is the author of "American Exception: Empire and the Deep State," a new book from Skyhorse Publishing. He also hosts a podcast titled "American Exception." He holds a Ph.D from Temple University. In the tradition of Peter Dale Scott, Aaron's writing emphasizes the role of a 'deep state' (a powerful, secretive, unelected governing force) in history. Chris Garaffa is co-host of the Covert Action Bulletin podcast, and is a frequent radio guest on issues of technology and surveillance. Music-break information 1) "Ride Across the River" by Dire Straits 2) "Voyager" by the Alan Parson Project the Project Censored Show: Hosts: Mickey Huff & Eleanor Goldfield Producers: Anthony Fest & Eleanor Goldfield Image by Yatheesh Gowda from Pixabay

The 2022 Critical Media Literacy Conference of the Americas took place in Oakland, CA in late October. This week's Project Censored Show presents excerpts from the plenary roundtable that addressed shortcomings of corporate media, each from a different perspective, and explained how a more critically media literate public and robust independent press could foster real humanitarian progress as we face multiple existential crises. Mickey Huff moderated the roundtable discussion which included Robin Anderson, who writes the media watch group FAIR, and for Project Censored; she is professor emerita at Fordham University; Maximilian Alvarez, editor-in-chief at The Real News Network; Eduardo Garcia; a freelance environmental journalist who writes on the climate crisis; and Mnar Adley, CEO and editor-in-chief at MintPress News.  Music-break information: "The Resistance" by 2 Cellos The Project Censored Show: Hosts: Mickey Huff & Eleanor Goldfield Producers: Anthony Fest & Eleanor Goldfield

Eleanor Goldfield hosts this week's episode, and spends the hour on conditions in Iran, where demonstrators have taken to the streets in response to the death of a young woman in the custody of the Iranian "morality police." Leila Zand is an Iranian-American activist and scholar who joins the show to contextualize the events of the past month in Iran. She highlights the importance of understanding the history of Iran, and the US, and cautions against using events as an excuse for continued US imperialist aggression. People all over the world have the right to self-determination, be it in terms of government or how they dress. Zand’s work pushes for these ideals to be actualized without violence. Notes: Leila Zand is an Iranian-American peace activist and scholar, based in Washington DC. She presently works with the womens' peace organization Code Pink. Music-break info: "Mahtab" by Marjan Farsad

On this Project Censored Show we discuss Media Literacy Week and more specifically Critical Media Literacy. We then discern the different approaches to media literacy which have been co-opted including corporate and a-critical media literacy. We explore this issue with experts Allison Butler and Nolan Higdon.

In this episode of the Project Censored Show Eleanor Goldfield looks at the potential for a Class I railroad strike. This struggle exemplifies the power of workers and how much corporations and their media lackeys fear collective power - particularly when that collective power represents some $2 billion a day in economic leverage. Eleanor outlines the most recent happenings on this issue and then she sits down with Mark Burrows, Railroad Workers United (RWU) member and a 41-year veteran of the railroad industry. They discuss the ongoing assault on railroad workers, not only from their corporate bosses, but from the corporate media as well. Burrows describes the lived experiences of workers like him, and how workplace demands have risen while safety standards and wages have fallen.

On this week's program we hear a panel discussion held in observation of Constitution Day (mid September) at Diablo Valley College, where Mickey teaches. Three expert panelists examined the state of the media, the threats posed by book-banning campaigns and cancel culture, as well as the societal changes underlying these trends. For some time, the United States has been on the road to what many scholars and pundits repeatedly refer to as a coming Civil War 2.0. Major political figures call the coming elections a "war for the soul of America." With increased attacks on academic freedom from the left and right, and a massive uptick in book challenges and bans across the country, our panelists discuss the need for open dialogue, constructive communication, and advocate for protecting the right to teach, to read, and to disagree. Our guests present strategies to reduce tensions in our contentious political climate through critical thinking, as well as reciprocity and empathic listening, while seeking alternatives to censorship in the quest to overcome current challenges and ameliorate our differences. Notes: Betsy Gomez is coordinator for the national Banned Books Week Coalition. Nico Perrino is Executive Vice-President at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, formerly known as the Foundation for Individual Rights In Education. Nolan Higdon is a university lecturer in media studies and history. He's also the author of The Anatomy of Fake News, Let’s Agree to Disagree, and other books on media and society.

This week, Eleanor Goldfield digs into mining - past and present. First, author and organizer Mitch Troutman discusses his latest book, The Bootleg Coal Rebellion: The Pennsylvania Miners who Seized an Industry. Mitch shares the importance of remembering and sharing a radical past, as he puts it: nothing was ever inevitable and that history is taught best when it gives us agency in the present. He also explains the role of media in uplifting the miner’s struggle, something more difficult to recognize in today’s media landscape. Next, Eleanor talks with Jamie Kneen from Mining Watch to discuss the fallacy of green growth vis a vis lithium - a metal that many are saddling with utopian hopes for the future while the reality screams of neocolonialist extraction in line with other precious metals in a global capitalist market. Kneen highlights the importance of scale in discussing a livable future as well as the dirty fallout from lithium mining.

For the first segment of this week's show, Mickey talks with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges shares some of the stories from his newest book, The Greatest Evil Is War. The book is based on interviews with dozens of victims of war, including families of soldiers, wounded veterans, and civilian survivors of battle. Hedges lays out the many costs of war, and having seen it up close, calls for its unequivocal end across the world. In the second half-hour, historian Peter Kuznick explains the often untold historical legacy of the recently-deceased former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Kuznick says that Gorbachev not only brought vital reforms to the USSR, but made unprecedented arms-reduction proposals that might have put the world on course to complete nuclear disarmament, had the Reagan Administration not rejected the ideas. Both guests call out the horrors of war and the need for a seriously rejuvenated global movement for peace. Notes: Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist with a long career as a foreign correspondent around the world, including battle zones like Iraq and the Balkans. His books include War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, Death of the Liberal Class, America: The Farewell Tour, and his new work The Greatest Evil Is War. Peter Kuznick is Professor of History at American University in Washington DC, and also directs the Nuclear Studies Program at that institution. He and Oliver Stone co-wrote The Untold History of the United States. Image by Annette Jones from Pixabay

On this Project Censored Show, host Mickey Huff dedicates the hour to Banned Books Week 2022 (Sept. 18-24). Now in its 40th year, Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating and promoting the freedom to read, and resisting efforts to ban books from library shelves, especially in school settings. Mickey's four guests bring a variety of perspectives to the program, but are united in their opposition to censorship and staunch advocacy of the freedom to read. Project Censored is a longtime co-sponsor of the Banned Books Week Coalition. Notes: -Betsy Gomez is coordinator for the Banned Books Week Coalition. -Cameron Samuels is a recent high school graduate and activist from the Katy Independent School District near Houston, Texas. Cameron was named the Youth Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week (the first time the title has been awarded) for actively opposing book banning in the District as a student there. -Jordan Smith is the digital editor at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. -Nico Perrino is Executive Vice-President at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, formerly known as the Foundation for Individual Rights In Education, an organization specializing in protecting academic freedom. Image by Pretty Sleepy Art from Pixabay

The latest Project Censored Show features a recording of a panel discussion from this summer's Whistleblower Summit and Film Festival, held in Washington DC. Mickey and Project Censored's Associate Director, Andy Lee Roth, moderated a discussion with journalist Kevin Gosztola and Rebecca Vincent of Reporters Without Borders. This panel, "Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange" examined how the imprisonment and prosecution of Assange for his work with WikiLeaks will have a negative impact on journalists and publishers. The final ten minutes of the show is an update with Kevin Gosztola explaining to Mickey the latest developments in the Assange extradition case. Notes: Kevin Gosztola is an independent journalist, and the publisher of ShadowProof.  He's also the author of "Guilty of Journalism: the Political Case Against Julian Assange," to be published in early 2023 by The Censored Press. Rebecca Vincent works at Reporters Without Borders, a non-profit organization that advocates for press freedom worldwide.

On the first half of this week’s show Eleanor speaks with musician, producer, and songwriter Samantha Blanchard - talking to her about the exploitation of artists in today’s often cookie cutter market, the sad trope of paying dues, and the harsh clash between capitalism and art - which is in fact just human emotion. They also discuss an upcoming EP of hers which covers several Elvis songs, his legacy, and the responsibility of white artists in regards to the black, and indigenous artists who they borrow from, and who largely never got their due. On the second half of the show, Eleanor speaks with organizer India Walton about the student loan debt crisis. India shares her thoughts on the Biden administration’s latest announcement, as well as the road ahead. They discuss how those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, including canceling student loans, free higher education, and everything else under the sun.