Jump to content

Abby Martin: Difference between revisions

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Clarify intro
Line 73: Line 73:
=== ''The Empire Files'' ===
=== ''The Empire Files'' ===
[[File:Abby Martin Venezuela.jpg|thumb|Abby Martin interviewing a member of the Green Cross during the 2017 Venezuelan protests]]
[[File:Abby Martin Venezuela.jpg|thumb|Abby Martin interviewing a member of the Green Cross during the 2017 Venezuelan protests]]
In September 2015, Martin launched ''The Empire Files'', an interview and documentary series. The show was originally hosted by [[Telesur (TV channel)|teleSUR English]], a media outlet funded by several progressive [[Latin America]]n governments. Martin clarified, "The show is totally independent of teleSUR. We merely sell them the content; they have zero control over anything we do".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/venezuela-abby-martin-mike-prysner-lies-death-threats|title=Venezuelan Opposition Spreads Lies About U.S. Journalists, Inciting Violence, Death Threats|last=Norton|first=Ben|date=3 June 2017|website=AlterNet|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref> The show has featured interviews with [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Ralph Nader]], [[Jill Stein]] and [[Rafael Correa]] and on-the-scene reports on the [[Palestinian refugee camps]], the [[2017 Venezuelan protests]] and the aftermath of [[Hurricane Harvey]] in Houston.
In September 2015, Martin launched ''The Empire Files'', an interview and documentary series. The show was originally hosted by [[Telesur (TV channel)|teleSUR English]], a media outlet funded by several Left-wing [[Latin America]]n governments. Martin clarified, "The show is totally independent of teleSUR. We merely sell them the content; they have zero control over anything we do".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/venezuela-abby-martin-mike-prysner-lies-death-threats|title=Venezuelan Opposition Spreads Lies About U.S. Journalists, Inciting Violence, Death Threats|last=Norton|first=Ben|date=3 June 2017|website=AlterNet|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref> The show has featured interviews with [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Ralph Nader]], [[Jill Stein]] and [[Rafael Correa]] and on-the-scene reports on the [[Palestinian refugee camps]], the [[2017 Venezuelan protests]] and the aftermath of [[Hurricane Harvey]] in Houston.


In 2018, increasingly stringent sanctions on Venezuela imposed by the Trump administration obstructed wire transfers to contract journalists, thereby impeding production of ''The Empire Files'', and in August 2018, ''The Empire Files'' was forced to shut down operations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/empire-files-venezuela-sanctions/248151/|title=US Sanctions Take Aim at Venezuela and TeleSUR, Force Abby Martin’s “Empire Files” to Shut Down|date=2018-08-23|work=MintPress News|access-date=2018-08-25|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mediaroots.org/us-sanctions-shut-down-the-empire-files-with-abby-martin/|title=US Sanctions Shut Down ‘The Empire Files’ with Abby Martin|work=Media Roots|access-date=August 25, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> However, a successful crowdfunding campaign enabled ''The Empire Files'' to restart production as a completely independent series.
In 2018, increasingly stringent sanctions on Venezuela imposed by the Trump administration obstructed wire transfers to contract journalists, thereby impeding production of ''The Empire Files'', and in August 2018, ''The Empire Files'' was forced to shut down operations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/empire-files-venezuela-sanctions/248151/|title=US Sanctions Take Aim at Venezuela and TeleSUR, Force Abby Martin’s “Empire Files” to Shut Down|date=2018-08-23|work=MintPress News|access-date=2018-08-25|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mediaroots.org/us-sanctions-shut-down-the-empire-files-with-abby-martin/|title=US Sanctions Shut Down ‘The Empire Files’ with Abby Martin|work=Media Roots|access-date=August 25, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> However, a successful crowdfunding campaign enabled ''The Empire Files'' to restart production as a completely independent series.

Revision as of 19:09, 11 February 2019

This article is about the journalist. For other people with the name, see Abby Martin (disambiguation).

Abby Martin
Abby Martin in 2012 as RT America correspondent
Born
Abigail Suzanne Martin

(1984-09-06) September 6, 1984 (age 39)
Oakland, California, U.S.[1]
EducationSan Diego State University
Occupation(s)Journalist, activist, artist
Notable credit(s)Media Roots
Breaking The Set (RT America)
Project Censored
The Empire Files (Telesur English)

Abigail Suzanne Martin is an American citizen journalist and presenter, who currently hosts the investigative web series The Empire Files, which, until August 2018, was hosted on and funded by the Venezuelan Telesur network.[2][3][4][5][6] She is the former host of Breaking the Set on the Russian network RT America, working from the Washington, D.C. bureau.[7] Before hosting her own show, she had worked for two years as a correspondent for RT America.

Early life

Martin grew up in Pleasanton, California, where she attended Amador Valley High School, graduating in 2002.[8] After high school, Martin began painting and photographing, as some of her works were exhibited around California.[1] She became interested in journalism when her old high school boyfriend enlisted in the military after the September 11 attacks in 2001. "I didn't want him going to war, let alone fighting in one", she recalls. "I began to critically ask 'What is really going on?'"[7] By the time she was a sophomore at San Diego State University, she began questioning what she called the "selling" of the Iraq War by the media.[7] She received an undergraduate degree in political science and minored in Spanish.

In 2004, Martin canvassed for John Kerry's presidential campaign but eventually became disillusioned with the Democratic Party.[9] She worked for a San Diego-based online news site until moving back to Northern California.[10]

9/11 conspiracy theories

In 2008, Martin posted a video showing her support for the 9/11 Truth movement.[11]

She has labelled the US government's assertions about the attacks on September 11, 2001]] as being "propaganda".[12] During the administration of President George W. Bush she said of the attacks: "I've researched it for three years and every single thing that I uncover solidifies my belief that it was an inside job and that our government was complicit in what happened."[13][14][15] The New York Times described her as a 9/11 conspiracy theorist,[13] but Martin told the Associated Press in March 2014 that she "no longer subscribes" to the theory that 9/11 was an inside job as she did earlier.[16]

Journalism career

Media Roots

In 2009, Martin helped found the citizen journalism website Media Roots. She co-hosts the Media Roots Radio podcast with her brother, Robbie Martin.[17] Her coverage of the Occupy Oakland protests caught the eye of RT America, who promptly offered Martin a job as a correspondent for the network's Washington, D.C. Bureau.[18]

Breaking the Set

In September 2012, Martin began hosting her own show, Breaking the Set, on RT America.[19] The show mixed media criticism with investigative journalism and described itself as "a show that cuts through the false left/right paradigm set by the establishment and reports the hard facts".[20] The original opening credits depict Martin applying a sledgehammer to a television tuned to CNN.[21] According to Rolling Stone magazine, past shows investigated "Monsanto, Nestle, the U.S. federal electoral system, the drone program, the NSA, Israel, Obama, and water fluoridation".[22]

Martin drew widespread media attention when she closed her show on March 3, 2014 with a minute-long statement condemning the Russian military intervention in Ukraine.[23][24][25] She appeared to be reading from a teleprompter, leading observers to suppose that her remarks were made with the consent of the show's producers.[26][27] Glenn Greenwald wrote a piece that compared Martin's statement favorably to the behavior of the United States media during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[28] RT also issued a statement saying: "Contrary to the popular opinion, RT doesn't beat its journalists into submission, and they are free to express their own opinions, not just in private but on the air."[29] RT added: "[W]e'll be sending her to Crimea to give her an opportunity to make up her own mind from the epicentre of the story." Martin declined the offer, saying "I am not going to Crimea despite the statement RT has made."[12]

Breaking the Set came to an end in February 2015, with Martin deciding to "focus on investigative field reporting".[30][31] Speaking for RT, Anna Belkina told BuzzFeed: "Abby decided that this is the time for her to try something new. We are proud of the great work she has done as the host of Breaking the Set."[31][32]

In January 2017, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a report titled, "Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections," following allegations of Russian involvement in the 2016 United States presidential election. The report characterized RT as a "Kremlin-directed campaign" to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Hillary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency. It went on to accuse Breaking the Set of being overwhelmingly critical of US and Western governments and promoting "radical discontent."[33]

The Empire Files

Abby Martin interviewing a member of the Green Cross during the 2017 Venezuelan protests

In September 2015, Martin launched The Empire Files, an interview and documentary series. The show was originally hosted by teleSUR English, a media outlet funded by several Left-wing Latin American governments. Martin clarified, "The show is totally independent of teleSUR. We merely sell them the content; they have zero control over anything we do".[34] The show has featured interviews with Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, Jill Stein and Rafael Correa and on-the-scene reports on the Palestinian refugee camps, the 2017 Venezuelan protests and the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Houston.

In 2018, increasingly stringent sanctions on Venezuela imposed by the Trump administration obstructed wire transfers to contract journalists, thereby impeding production of The Empire Files, and in August 2018, The Empire Files was forced to shut down operations.[35][36] However, a successful crowdfunding campaign enabled The Empire Files to restart production as a completely independent series.

Martin serves on the board of directors for the Media Freedom Foundation which manages Project Censored.[37][38]

Reception

Millennial Magazine portrayed Martin as an "unfiltered" media representative for the Millennial generation who reports "stories that deserve public recognition".[39]

Martin was highly criticized for her past support of the 9/11 truth movement. New York Times columnist Robert Mackey, in a 2014 blog post, said that Martin "surprised some [RT America] viewers ... when she voiced on-air remarks critical of the Russian 'occupation of Crimea," but added, "Ms. Martin's comments were less surprising to viewers more familiar with her work as a commentator and antiwar activist whose animating obsession has been her conviction that the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were part of a government conspiracy."[40] Author and media consultant Chez Pazienza criticized Martin for being a 9/11 Truther,[41] a term also used to describe her by a Mediaite columnist.[42]

Former RT anchor Liz Wahl said: "RT’s Abby Martin says things the Kremlin likes ... A narrative that I find to be propagandous and hostile toward the West".[43]On September 8th, 2018 Martin stated that she had more journalistic freedom while working with RT than any other American news outlet.[44]

Selected work

Film

  • 99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film (2013), co-director[45]
  • Project Censored the Movie (2013), as herself[46]
  • The Choice Is Ours (2016), as herself[47]

Books

  • Martin, Abby. (2011). Framing the Messengers: Junk Food News and News Abuse for Dummies. In Mickey Huff (Ed.) Censored 2012: The Top 25 Censored Stories of 2010–11. Seven Stories Press. ISBN 1609803582.
  • Martin, Abby. (2011). Media Democracy in Action. In Mickey Huff (Ed.) Censored 2012: The Top 25 Censored Stories of 2010–11. Seven Stories Press. ISBN 1609803582.
  • Martin, Abby. (2015). The Unheard Story of Hurricane Katrina, Blackwater, White Militias & Community Empowerment: An interview with scott crow and Malik Rahim. In scott crow (Ed.) Emergency Hearts, Molotov Dreams: A scott crow Reader. GTK Press. ISBN 9780996546003.
  • Martin, Abby (2018) Project Censored. Foreword by Abby Martin.

Radio

  • Media Roots Radio (2010–present)[48]
  • Project Censored, KPFA (94.1 FM), co-host [49]

Video

  • Media Roots TV (2009–present)[50]

References

  1. ^ a b Nemire, Jessica (March 21, 2014), Talking with Oakland-Born RT America Anchor Abby Martin About Art and Life, SF Weekly, archived from the original on March 23, 2014 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Russia Today presenter goes off-script". BBC News. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  3. ^ Bakir, Vian (2018). Intelligence Elites and Public Accountability: Relationships of Influence with Civil Society (Studies in Intelligence). Routledge. p. 148.
  4. ^ Marketwired (September 3, 2015). "teleSUR Launches New Investigative TV Show Hosted by Abby Martin". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  5. ^ Malavé, Helga (August 27, 2015). "Abby Martin Launches Investigative News Show for teleSUR". TeleSUR. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  6. ^ "US Sanctions Shut Down 'The Empire Files' with Abby Martin". Scoop. New Zealand. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c Koss, Jeremy (May–June 2013). "Real Talk". SOMA Magazine. 27 (3): 52–53. ISSN 0896-5005.
  8. ^ Ciardelli, Dolores Fox (September 6, 2002). "Leaving for college". Pleasanton Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  9. ^ Mckenty, Doug (September 12, 2011). "Interview with Abby Martin of Media Roots". Morning Report. KZYX. (Event occurs from 1:58—3:26.)
  10. ^ Kerkman, Cassandra; Mosco, Oskar, eds. (July 31, 2012). "MR Founder Abby Martin – Activist Turned Journalist". Media Roots.
  11. ^ Ortega, Tony (March 4, 2014). "Glenn Greenwald lauds bravery of RT's Abby Martin, then NY Times outs her as 9/11 Truther". The Raw Story.
  12. ^ a b Ensor, Josie (March 4, 2014). "Russia Today host who criticised Kremlin sent to Crimea". The Daily Telegraph.
  13. ^ a b Mackey, Robert (March 4, 2014). "Russia Today Host Has Roots in '9/11 Truth' Movement". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  14. ^ Sullivan, Margaret (March 5, 2014). "Was a Post on Russia Today's Abby Martin a 'Hit Piece'?". The New York Times. I did not read it as an attack or as a hit piece
  15. ^ Schlanger, Zoë (March 5, 2014). "RT America Anchor Resigns In Protest Of 'White-Washed' Ukraine Coverage". Newsweek. (subscription required)
  16. ^ Riechmann, Deb (March 5, 2014). "TV anchorwoman criticizes Kremlin on Ukraine". Big Story. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. She once protested with the 9/11 Truth movement, which alleges that U.S. government officials might have been complicit in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a theory to which Martin says she no longer subscribes
  17. ^ Priesnitz, Wendy (September–October 2011). "Media Roots". Natural Life. Vol. 141, no. 26. ISSN 0701-8002. (subscription required)
  18. ^ Butter, Susannah (March 12, 2014). "'I feel like I'm in House of Cards': an exclusive interview with Abby Martin, the Russia Today presenter who spoke out about Ukraine". Evening Standard.
  19. ^ Bidder, Benjamin. "Putin's Weapon in the War of Images". Der Spiegel. Vol. 33. pp. 134–135. ISSN 0038-7452. Bidder's article in Der Spiegel also appeared in other news outlets, such as O Estado de S. Paulo Archived September 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine in Brazil.
  20. ^ Breaking the Set: About. YouTube Channel. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  21. ^ Rankin, Jennifer (December 20, 2012). "Russia Today chases ratings with controversy". GlobalPost. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  22. ^ Reitman, Janet (March 27, 2014). "The Young Renegade of TV News". Rolling Stone. No. 1205. p. 20. (subscription required)
  23. ^ Austin, Henry (March 4, 2014). "News Anchor Slams Crimea Takeover on State-Funded Russian TV". NBC News. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  24. ^ Paget, Antonia (March 4, 2014). ""Russia Today host condemns Ukraine 'occupation'". The Times. (subscription required)
  25. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Could Russia Today turn you into a Putin propagandist?". The Independent. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  26. ^ Krishnan, Joe (March 4, 2014). "Ukraine crisis: Russia Today TV host goes off-message with attack on intervention in Crimea". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. However, sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that she was reading from the auto-cue and, therefore, presumably had permission from producers of the show to express her beliefs. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Graef, Aileen (March 4, 2014). "RT news anchor speaks out against Russian intervention". UPI. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Media analysts say that Martin was reading from a teleprompter and therefore more than likely had her producer's consent {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ Greenwald, Glenn (March 4, 2014). "RT Host Abby Martin Condemns Russian Incursion Into Crimea – On RT". The Intercept. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  29. ^ "Russia TV host calls Ukraine intervention 'wrong' on-air". BBC News. March 4, 2014..
  30. ^ Martin, Abby (February 18, 2015). "Never Stop Breaking the Set". Media Roots. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015.
  31. ^ a b Gray, Rosie (February 19, 2015). "RT Host Who Criticized Russia's Ukraine Invasion Is Leaving The Network". BuzzFeed. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  32. ^ Gray, Rosie (March 9, 2015). "Jesse Ventura's Son And Oliver Stone's Son Get A Show At Russia Today". BuzzFeed. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  33. ^ (January 7, 2017). [1]. Directer of National Intelligence
  34. ^ Norton, Ben (June 3, 2017). "Venezuelan Opposition Spreads Lies About U.S. Journalists, Inciting Violence, Death Threats". AlterNet. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  35. ^ "US Sanctions Take Aim at Venezuela and TeleSUR, Force Abby Martin's "Empire Files" to Shut Down". MintPress News. August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  36. ^ "US Sanctions Shut Down 'The Empire Files' with Abby Martin". Media Roots. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  37. ^ Huff, Mickey (2012). Censored 2013: The Top Censored Stories and Media Analysis of 2011–2012. Seven Stories Press. p. 280. ISBN 1609804236.
  38. ^ Huff, Mickey (2013). Censored 2014: Fearless Speech in Fateful Times; The Top Censored Stories and Media Analysis of 2012–13. Seven Stories Press. p. 264. ISBN 1609804953.
  39. ^ Hysen, Britt (July 28, 2014). RT Host Abby Martin Takes On Corporate Media. Millennial Magazine. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  40. ^ "March 4 Updates on Ukraine Crisis". New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  41. ^ "The Truth(er) About Abby Martin". Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  42. ^ Wilstein, Matt. "RT Anchor Who Condemned Russian Invasion Is Also a 9/11 Truther". Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  43. ^ "Liz Wahl: RT 'whitewashes' Putin's actions". msnbc. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  44. ^ Jimmy Dore Comedy Solid Chat Saturday, https://jimmydorecomedy.com/home/index.php/the-jimmy-dore-show-podcast/
  45. ^ "99% // The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film". 99percentfilm.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  46. ^ "IMDb: Project Censored the Movie (2013)". imdb.com. IMDb. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  47. ^ "The Venus Project". imdb.com. The Venus Project. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  48. ^ "Reporting From Outside Party Lines". mediaroots.org. Media Roots. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  49. ^ "Project Censored — The News that Didn't Make the News and Why". projectcensored.org. Project Censored.
  50. ^ "Media Roots TV – Reporting From Outside Party Lines". mediaroots.org. Media Roots.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Abby Martin.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abby Martin.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abby_Martin&oldid=882853322"