Democracy on Deadline 2006
Distributed by First Run/Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Jed Rothstein
Directed by Calvin Skaggs
VHS, color, 114 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Business, Communication, Human Rights, Journalism, Media Studies, Social Science
Date Entered: 03/20/2007
Reviewed by Margaret M. Reed, Riley-Hickingbotham Library, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, ARDemocracy on Deadline reaches deep within the souls of journalists around the globe, revealing why they sacrifice so much for the cause of freedom.
Most inspiring are the film’s intimate profiles of journalists who have made a tangible difference in the lives of ordinary citizens and in the operation of government. The story of two Sierra Leone journalists, for example, demonstrates how voter education and transparent free elections are vital to the success of foundling democracies. The film also shows the pivotal role war reporters in Afghanistan play in getting authorities to address serious social crises in the aftermath. Other accounts from Israel, Mexico, Russia, and the United States illustrate investigative reporting at its finest.
Graphic and intense, Democracy on Deadline is a wake-up call for viewers who have grown complacent about democracy. The lengths to which these journalists have gone to create and preserve freedom is remarkable. Quite poignant are the personal consequences they have endured for being good journalists - threats, job loss, injury, and, in one case, death.
An outstanding resource for most high school or college curricula, Democracy on Deadline is a “must see” for students of journalism and the social sciences. Democracy on Deadline aired on the PBS Independent Lens series.
Highly recommended for academic and public libraries.