The media in the U.S. It’s a powerful institution that battles for audiences day in and day out. It has the power to shape public opinion, and inform the country’s discourse. But even as journalists produce content around the clock, many argue economic interests ultimately drive the business of news, as shareholders and advertisers expect big returns on their investments.

Following in the tradition of independent investigative journalist I.F. Stone, America’s Fourth Estate asks if, when faced with these challenges, the media can still deliver the truth. It features present-day independent journalists who ask whether or not the U.S .government can rely on the media to help tell – or hide – their version of the facts. It also challenges the business of the news, questioning whether or not it can operate fairly in a climate of such fast-paced, returns-oriented competition.

This all started with my being inspired years ago by I. F. Stone, when I was a teenaged would be investigative journalist. In 2013 I became energized and inspired all over again, as I delved into a book called “The Best of I. F. Stone.”. Then Myra MacPherson’s excellent biography of Stone, “All Governments Lie” reinforced my interest. As I continued to explore, I found many other journalists and filmmakers equally inspired, some of them on the cutting edge of independent, adversarial reporting about government deception.

It struck me as a great story. A secret guru was inspiring today’s new wave of investigative journalists—a man most of the public had never heard of. And those new independent journalists were fighting the same kind of David and Goliath battle Izzy Stone did decades ago a battle for nothing less than truth and justice, in a world where the Stone quote “All governments lie” was never more apt.

It was obvious to me that a film documentary had to be made.

This is not a story set in the U.S.A. or Canada; it’s a global story.

I wanted to tell the story of these passionate independent journalists, past and present, to bring the public into their worlds, and to tell the story of this band of “muckrakers” from my own perspective. As a former investigative producer on the CBC program "the fifth estate" and on ABC's "20/20", I know how difficult it can be to uncover deception and reveal truths.

This film is a timely documentary for today’s digital -savvy viewers who increasingly seek information from independent media, and are distrustful of large, corporate media outlets. This film takes seemingly unconnected events and journalistic heroes stretching over many decades and link them together to tell an important story that will resonate with audiences in Canada and around the world.

I want to inspire others with the story of I. F. Stone’s courageous, decades-long battle against government lies, and with the more recent stories of independent journalists who are fearlessly following in Stone’s footsteps. They are the antidote and alternative to the mainstream media conglomerates that are increasingly showing their blind spots and weaknesses — and losing the public’s trust.

This film is not, however, only about independent journalism, politics and democracy. Perhaps even more importantly, it is a film about humanity and values. I want viewers to walk away remembering what I. F. Stone was trying to do:

"To write the truth as I see it; to defend the weak against the strong; to fight for justice;
and to seek, as best I can, to bring healing perspectives to bear on the terrible hates and
fears of mankind, in the hope of someday bringing about one world, in which men will
enjoy the differences of the human garden instead of killing each other over them."
I.F. Stone

This is a message that needs to be heard. This film tells a story that needs to be told.