YouTube has deleted the entire archive of “On Contact,” an Emmy-nominated television show by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges hosted on the Russian government-funded news channel RT America. We speak with Hedges, who connects the YouTube censorship of his presentation to a growing crackdown on dissenting voices in American media. “There’s less and less space for those willing to seriously challenge and question entrenched power,” says Hedges, who says “opaque entities” like YouTube shouldn’t have the power to take down outlets like RT America, despite the channel’s source of funding. “Are we better off not hearing what Russia has to say?” asks Hedges.

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. 

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#democracynow Amy Goodman Chris Hedges Emmy-nominated Juan Gonzalez opaque entities Pulitzer Prize RT America winning journalist Youtube