Third World Newsreel: Six Decades of Activist Media for Social Justice [Full Uncut Conversation]

Synopsis: What’s it take for an independent media collective to last for almost 60 years?

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Description: It’s almost unheard of for an independent media collective to survive as long as Third World Newsreel has. Since 1968, they have chronicled some of the most pivotal movements in human history and continue to expand on their collection of over 700 titles. There’s lots to learn about how they’ve adapted through technological revolutions, political persecutions, philanthropic booms and busts — and how the oldest media arts collective in the U.S. is making do in today’s “media carnage”, as Laura Flanders puts it. Joining us are JT Takagi, an independent filmmaker, sound recordist, and the longtime executive director of Third World Newsreel. Tami Gold is an artist and activist whose documentaries grapple with everything from imperialism to sex work. Her films include My Country Occupied, Another Brother and Land Rain Fire among many more. Puerto Rican-born Juan Carlos Dávila works in film as well as TV, where he reports on social movements around environmentalism, militarism and the struggles of the working class on the island. His films include The Stand-By Generation, Viequez: An Endless Battle and Drills of Liberation. Join us as we look at the past, present and future of Third World Newsreel and ask how film can be used as a tool for organizing.

“I'd say we feel more urgent now than ever before. Every day there's something happening that makes it clear that our rights and liberties, and people's lives all over the world are at stake. Not being in touch with the history and media that shows the truth of what's going on is really decimating people's ability to, as Juan said, know what to follow and what to do.” - JT Takagi

“We need to retake the theater, the physical space that is being ignored by the corporations. Perhaps now that is the opportunity that we have . . . A theater is being rented by people who are organizers, and they're using their collective spirit and know-how to organize huge, huge crowds to come.” - Tami Gold

“People can shoot stuff with the phone . . . I see a lot in Puerto Rico that people are still wanting to produce with the corporate industry standards. Many young filmmakers like myself tend to think that we need so many personnel to be doing films. Right now we can actually make films with less.” - Juan Carlos Dávila

Guests:

•  Juan Carlos Dávila: Documentary Filmmaker, Multimedia Journalist, Puerto Rico Correspondent, Democracy Now!

•  Tami Gold: Filmmaker, Artist, Activist

•  JT Takagi: Executive Director, Third World Newsreel

 

Watch on YouTube this episode that includes video clips referenced in this episode from Third World Newsreel; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast February 25th, 2026.

Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. 

Music Credit:  'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper

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Full Episode Notes are located HERE.

Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:

•  Dolores Huerta & Ellen Gavin: Creative Courage in the Face of Fascism- Watch / Listen:  Full Uncut Conversation and Episode Cut 

•  BIPOC Press for the People: Bursting the Corporate Media Bubble- Watch / Listen: Episode Cut

•  Meet the BIPOC Press: Is Worker-Owned Media the Future of Journalism?- Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut

 

Related Articles and Resources:

•  Documentaries Ripped From the Headlines Are Becoming Harder to See, by Marc Tracy, December 18, 2024, The New York Times

•  My Country Occupied, Documentary by Tami Gold

•  La Generación Del Estanbai (The Standby Generation), Documentary by Juan C. Davila and Third World Newsreel, Trailer

•  Why Frederick Wiseman Was the Greatest Documentary Filmmaker Ever, by Richard Brody, February, 17, 2026, The New Yorker

•. Fredrick Weissman Filmmaker, Producer and Theater Director, Zipporah Films Inc

•  Drills of Liberation, Documentary by Juan C. Davila

•  Third World Newsreel (TWN) Brings Historic Newsreel Retrospective To BAM, Anthology Film Archives, And DOK Leipzig, October 2025, Third World Newsreel

•  Have You Seen It Yet?  The Algorithm Problem In Movie Marketing, by Charity Maxson, January 27, 2026, TR!LL

 

Laura Flanders and Friends Crew:  Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer;  Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O’Conner-Senior Consulting Producer.

 

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