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• In New York, a screening of Juan González's new documentary

  For our New York readers, we've just received word that a screening of "Harvest of Empire," a feature-length documentary based on the work of award-winning journalist and Verso author Juan González, is set to take place at the Quad Cinema this Friday.

  González, who recently published the paperback edition of the best-selling News For All the People: The Epic Story of Race and The American Media with Verso Books, uses his investigative prowess to tell another crucial counter-history in "Harvest of Empire," based on his book by the same name. In addressing the current immigration crisis, the film explores the connections between U.S. intervention abroad and the swelling waves of migration from Latin America. As González reminds us at the beginning of the film: 

  They never teach us in school that the huge Latino presence here is a direct result of our own government's actions in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America over many decades — actions that forced millions from that region to leave their homeland and journey north.

  Watch Juan Gonzalez on Democracy Now discussing Harvest of Empire:
  
  

  By Molly Osberg / 25 September 2012 / 5 comments

• Interview with Juan González

  An interview by Elizabeth Floyd Mair with Juan González ran in the Times Union in Albany, NY on April 19th to coincide with González's appearance at Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, NY, where he spoke about the history of media and oppresion. 

  Q: What do you think of the term "the liberal media"?

  A: The "liberal media" myth, like most stereotypes, contains a kernel of truth, but ends up being a huge distortion of a complex reality. The class divide in our media system is far more defining than the left-right political divide. Most journalists in the commercial media have become somewhat divorced from the daily problems of ordinary Americans. They therefore give far less attention and coverage to the "other" America, those less privileged and less powerful. And they give disproportionate attention and coverage to the 1 percent celebrities, successful businessmen, powerful government figures, and so forth.

  Read the full interview here. 

  By Anne Sullivan / 23 April 2012 / post comment

• Spring event dates for Juan Gonzalez and Joseph Torres

  Keep a close eye on Verso's events page in the coming weeks: during March, April and May, Juan Gonzalez and Joseph Torres, co-authors of News For All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the Media, will be going across the country for a series of lectures and discussions about the history of race and media in the United States.

  Please click below to see a list of their respective speaking dates and stay posted for more information and details to come:

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  By Michael Bacal / 28 February 2012 / post comment