Jon Burge Arrested By Feds!

Jon Burge, the ringleader of the Chicago Police Department's history of Abu-Ghraib sytle torture from the 1970's to the 1990's, has been arrested and charged with perjury and obstruction of justice.

VIDEO: The (gender) Politics of Palin

(The following video was produced for MTV News where I contribute as an independent journalist.

Los Angeles Times Reporters File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Sam Zell, Tribune

On a depressing news day, this is the best thing I've heard. People like Sam Zell have ruined America, weakened the role of a free press, and destroyed journalism all in the name of adding to their already embarrassing riches. I pray this goes to trial and Zell goes …

The Rachel Maddow Show Set To Premiere As Host "On The Cusp Of Full-Blown Stardom"

I am eagerly anticipating Maddow's show. In my last post, I criticized Olbermann for his ego and crassness, even as I often agree with him. I'm hoping that Maddow brings a more level-headed, intellectual approach to her show, even as she presents the news with a point …

MSNBC Drops Keith Olbermann And Chris Matthews From Anchor Chair During Election Coverage

Thank god MSNBC has come to their senses. As a progressive, I found their coverage embarrassing. Olbermann in particular presents himself only slightly more respectably than Bill O'Reilly. I agree with the majority of Olbermann's positions, but his self-righteous …

VIDEO: Honky-Tonk Peace Protest

(The following video was produced for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08. I work with this program as an independent journalist covering issues in Tennessee. The video was originally posted on think.mtv.com here: )

In Nashville, a small but dedicated group of anti-war …

VIDEO - Uniform Dissent, Part II - The War Already Forgotten

(The following video was produced for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08. I work with this program as an independent journalist covering issues in Tennessee. The video was originally posted on think.mtv.com here: )

In the second part of this story, two Iraq veterans …

VIDEO - Uniform Dissent, Part I

(The following video was produced for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08. I work with this program as an independent journalist covering issues in Tennessee. The video was originally posted on think.mtv.com here: )

I recently spoke with two young veterans from the …

VIDEO - Who did your voting machine vote for?

(The following video was produced for MTV News where I contribute as an independent journalist for the Choose or Lose Street Team '08 campaign. The video was originally posted here.)

Over the past few election cycles, numerous allegations have surfaced regarding …

Video: Green Party of TN

The following video was produced for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08. It was first posted here.

Last weekend I attended the Green Party's Tennessee Nominating Convention. I didn't find a lavish affair, a swarm of lobbyists, or a bunch of fat cat power brokers. …

Video; Real Debate = Real Issues

The following video was produced for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08, where I contribute as a freelance "citizen journalist." Click here to go to this video on think.mtv.com.

On Oct. 7th, Nashville's Belmont University will host the last Presidential Debate …

Documentary Review - At the Death House Door

This is the week of the Nashville Film Festival, and I'm glad to say that close to half of the feature programming is made up of documentaries. I was able to catch one of the two screenings of At the Death House Door, the new documentary by Steve James and Peter …

Video - Reuse, Reboot, Revitalize

The following video was originally produced for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08, where I contribute as an independent journalist. Go here for more information.

I recently caught up with a couple of young Nashvillians who are combining their skills in business, …

Puffin Foundation Grant Awarded to Spoke!

I'm very pleased to announce that the Puffin Foundation has generously awarded Spoke Digital Films with an Artist Grant to help us complete our documentary, Shielded Brutality, which documents a thirty-year history of police torture in Chicago, Il. Not only will the …

Part 2 - Power, Politics, Prisons

This video was originally produced for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08, where I contribute as an independent citizen journalist. Click here for that website.

Gus Puryear is the top attorney for the world's largest private prison company. He also belongs to a …

Video - Power, Politics, and Prisons

The video below was orignally produced for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08. I work with this program as an independent journalist covering issues in Tennessee. The original post can be seen here. -DUSTIN OGDIN

AS SEEN ON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS VIDEO NETWORK

Book Review - Archival Storytelling

I recently had the good fortune of reviewing an advance manuscript for a forthcoming book assured to be a valuable resource to documentary filmmakers (and other filmmakers as well). The book, titled Archival Storytelling: A Filmmaker's Guide to Finding, Using, and …

Tennessee's Part in Milking the Nation's Cash Cow

As I mentioned in my last post, I am working as an independent "Citizen Journalist" for MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08 and will periodically be placing some of that content here on my Spoke Films blog. With this MTV gig I have free editorial control to cover …