Danny Schechter, also known as the "News Dissector", is a television producer, independent filmmaker, blogger, and media critic who writes and lectures frequently about the media in the United States and worldwide.

Background

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A Cornell University graduate, Schechter received his Master's degree from the London School of Economics, and an honorary doctorate from Fitchburg College. He was a Neiman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University, where he also taught in 1969. He was an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, and recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists' 2001 Award for Excellence in Documentary Journalism.

Schechter worked as a civil rights worker and communications director of the Northern Student Movement, and worked as a community organizer in a War on Poverty program. Schechter also served as an assistant to the Mayor of Detroit in 1966.

Schechter's media experience in the major U.S. corporate media is considerable. His career began as the "News Dissector" at Boston radio station WBCN. Later, Schechter was a producer for the ABC newsmagazine 20/20. He produced 50 segments for ABC and won two national Emmy Awards and was nominated for two others. Schechter joined the start-up staff at CNN as a producer based in Atlanta. In all, Schechter has reported from 49 countries.

Schechter helped found, and serve as the executive producer of, Globalvision, a New York-based television and film production company. He founded and executive-produced the series "South Africa Now" and co-produced "Rights & Wrongs: Human Rights Television". His work specializes in investigative journalism and producing programming about the interface between human rights, journalism, popular music and society.

Schechter is also the executive editor of MediaChannel.org, for which he is the "blogger-in-chief" and writes a nearly-3000-word daily blog entry on media and society.

Productions

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Film and television

Schechter has produced and directed many television specials and documentary films. These include:

• "Counting on Democracy" about the 2000 Florida election recount, narrated by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
• The post 9/11 film "We Are Family" (2002), shown at the Sundance Film Festival
• "Nkosi: A Voice of Africa's AIDS Orphans" (2001), narrated by Danny Glover
• "A Hero for All: Nelson Mandela's Farewell" (1999)
• "Beyond Life: Timothy Leary Lives" (1997)
• "Sowing Seeds/Reaping Peace: The World of Seeds of Peace" (1996)
• "Prisoners of Hope: Reunion on Robben Island" (1995, co-directed by Barbara Kopple
• "Countdown to Freedom: Ten Days that Changed South Africa" (1994), narrated by James Earl Jones and Alfre Woodard
• "Sarajevo Ground Zero" (1993)
• "The Living Canvas" (1992), narrated by Billy Dee Williams
• "Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy" (1992, co-directed by Marc Levin and Barbara Kopple
• "Give Peace a Chance" (1991)
• "Mandela in America" (1990)
• "The Making of Sun City" (1987)
• "Student Power" (1968)

Literature

Schechter is also a prolific writer. His books include

• "Embedded: Weapons of Mass Deception: How the Media Failed to Cover the Iraq War" (Prometheus Books, October 2003)
• "Media Wars: News At A Time of Terror" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003)
• "The More You Watch, The Less You Know" (Seven Stories Press)
• "News Dissector: Passions, Pieces and Polemics" (Akashic Books and Electron Press).

External links

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• Danny Schechter's home page

American television producers