“Fighting the Power” Podcast Wins International Prizes

The show explores the role of media in democracy in the age of billionaires 

Lanita Duke teaching Granddaughter about audio (Photo courtesy of Lanita Duke)

The award-winning radio show Fighting the Power last month was named Best Non-Fiction Podcast 2025 for their episode, “Democracy Dies When the Fourth Estate Complies.” The Portland-based radio show was honored by the NZ -New Zealand-Web Fest, an international event celebrating digital media around the world. The award was announced at a ceremony in Auckland, NZ. In July, the show was also named Best Podcast by the Swedish International Film Festival.

Executive Producer Lanita Duke describes Fighting the Power as an intergenerational, multiracial round-table discussion of race, class and the news of the day.

“Fighting the Power evolved from Let’s Talk About Race, and it’s been amazing to watch our work expand and grow across continents in such a short time,” she says. “People all over the world care about democracy and what’s happening in the United States, no matter who or where you are, these issues probably affect you.”

“Democracy Dies When the Fourth Estate Complies” explores the responsibility that media outlets have in setting the stage for a democratic society, and what happens when legacy news outlets choose profits over integrity. The award-winning episode is remarkable for its timeliness: Last week, The Washington Post downsized its staff by 30 percent and its publisher abruptly resigned. Observers have blamed Post owner Jeff Bezos for destroying the brand by complying with President Donald Trump‘s policy demands.

Panelist 

The podcast is distributed internationally by the Pacifica Radio Network, and features contributions from a panel of journalists and pundits, including:

·       LaNita Duke: Award-winning multimedia producer for Grassroots News Northwest.

·       Dianne Johnson: Professor and journalist specializing in political journalism and the Arts.

·       Althea Billings: Journalist and radio producer covering Politics and National News.

·       Rev. Cecil Prescod: Talk show host focusing on social and political issues.

·       Nia Gray: Civil rights advocate from Pittsburgh.

In its previous format, Let’s Talk About Race, this crew has also won awards at the Echonation Audio & Film Festival in Greater Manchester, England; “Best Podcast” at the Swedish International Film Festival; and “Best Audio Podcast” at EdiPlay International Film Festival in France. 

Another award-winning episode from 2022 is called “The Second Pandemic – Domestic Violence in America.” That program won “Best Podcast” at the 4th Dimension Independent Film Festival in Bali, Indonesia; “Best Audio Podcast” at Bright International Film Festival in London; and won at the International Black & Diversity Film Festival in Toronto, Canada.

For more information email:grassrootnewsedit@gmail.com