KCETLink Premieres 'Shadows of Liberty,' A Revealing Film Exploring America's Corporate Controlled Media
Acclaimed documentary reveals stories from renowned journalists, activists and academics giving insider accounts of a broken media system including Dan Rather, Amy Goodman, Danny Glover, Robert McChesney, Julian Assange, David Simon, Daniel Ellsberg, Roberta Baskin, Bob Bear, John MacArthur, Dick Gregory, among many, many others.
BURBANK, CA--March 20, 2013--Censorship, cover-ups and corporate control. On the heels of the unprecedented merger of two media giants, Comcast and NBCUniversal, KCETLink presents a powerful documentary film that explores the state of commercial~news~media and the free press in the United States, Shadows of Liberty, airing on KCET and Link TV April 5 at 8 p.m. PDT and EST.
The 90-minute documentary by filmmaker Jean-Philippe Tremblay takes viewers on a journey through the darker corridors of the commercial U.S. media system, where global conglomerates call the shots. The film depicts how overwhelming influence of major corporations and corporate interests have distorted the process of reporting and presenting news to mainstream audiences, and compromised the value of information that finds its way to American news consumers.
The film cites several specific examples of national stories that were affected by these interests, including journalists' controversial news~reports~that are suppressed, people who are censored for speaking out and lives shattered as the arena for public expression is turned into a private profit zone. Renowned journalists, activists and academics give insider accounts of a broken media system including Dan Rather, Amy Goodman, Danny Glover, Robert McChesney and Julian Assange, among many others.
Nominated as the Most Valuable Documentary of the Year at the 2013 Cinema for Peace Gala in Berlin, Germany, the film received official selection in film festivals world wide throughout 2012, and is presented for the first time in the U.S. with KCETLink.
"Shadows of Liberty is a fascinating look at corporate-controlled media-its evolution and power--and the vital work being done every day to fight for thriving, relevant independent journalism," said Al Jerome, Chief Executive Officer of KCETLink. "We think it's important as an independent media organization to provide this perspective to our viewers."
Added Tremblay: "This film is dedicated to the journalists, heroes of our time, who give their lives and freedoms for our information. Presenting the voices that are not heard or given a platform is what Shadows of Liberty is about. This film attempts to inspire change and accountability by championing the idea of an independent media where truth and integrity are the norm, and not the exception."
Inspired by the Ben Bagdikian book "The New Media Monopoly" and funded by The Bertha Foundation, the film touches upon critical issues impacting the creation, distribution and access of news and information, including:
- Ownership: Five corporations own and control almost all the media we see and hear
- Profit: Media corporations are driven by profit, not the public good.
- Censorship: Corporate journalism promotes official government sources and corporate agendas.
- Sensationalism: Dumbing down news stories over solid truth and integrity.
Shadows of Liberty, a DocFactory Production, will be screened at Free Press National Conference on Media Reform on April 4, and will also stream online beginning April 4 on a special website, [ http://shadows.kcetlink.org/ ]shadows.kcetlink.org. The site includes digital assets, social media streams and other original content tied to the film.
Complete broadcast airtimes include:
Link TV
(Nationally via DirecTV 375 and DISH Network 9410) April 5 at 8 p.m. PDT/ 8 p.m. EST
KCET
(Southern California) April 5 at 8 p.m. PDT
For more information and additional assets, please visit shadows.kcetlink.org.
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ABOUT KCETLink
KCETLink is the new national independent public transmedia organization formed by the merger between KCET and Link Media. A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization, its content is distributed nationally via satellite on DirecTV and DISH, in Southern and Central California via broadcast, as well as through various digital delivery systems. KCET and Link TV are services of KCETLink. For additional information about KCETLink productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org.
ABOUT DOCFACTORY
Based in London, DocFactory was created in 2005 to produce independent documentary films to bring awareness and inspire change for important social issues worldwide. DocFactory creates films that break the mould and reveal important stories that focus on injustices. DocFactory is also committed to innovative, strategic outreach campaigns.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER: JEAN-PHILIPPE TREMBLAY
Tremblay originates from Jonquière, Québec. He studied Law and Film at Carleton University. In 1996, he made a film entitled Journey, following the story of an aspiring young filmmaker in South East Asia for one year. He was awarded an intensive apprenticeship at the S.A.W. Video Co-op. Subsequently, Jean-Philippe developed his skills as a lighting technician on four films with Distinct Features, TV shows, commercials, and music videos. In 1998, the Canada Arts Council funded his short film entitled Rock Bottom Fill. The following year, he documented the work of an NGO - South Asian Partnership Canada - in Pakistan. In 2001, he was a Neg-Assembler for films such as Insomnia. In 2002 he developed the Journey filmproject in South America for six months. In 2006 he completed an MA in Film Production at the London Film School. His graduation film was selected at the 50th London Film Festival. He joined DOCFACTORY that same year and began filming his first feature documentary, Shadows Of Liberty, completed in January 2012. Jean-Philippe is currently preparing a new feature.