CROWN - Croatian World Network - http://www.croatia.org/crown
Danny Schechter 1942 - 2015 journalist, documentary filmmaker, social justice activist and media critic
http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10661/1/Danny-Schechter-1942---2015-journalist-documentary-filmmaker-social-justice-activist-and-media-critic.html
By Nenad N. Bach
Published on 03/21/2015
 

By definition Danny was a journalist, documentary filmmaker, social justice activist and media critic, but that would be a reduction and simplification of what Danny real was and is. The man who understood the world affairs; talks one minute to the president of a country and the next minute talks to a group of elementary school kids. Only highly intelligent and highly compassionate people can do that. Danny did and could work for major networks as a highly paid producer. By being and staying as an independent journalist, Danny chose truth vs comfort. Only rare birds put such value on truth.

A true friend


   
It is not easy to write about Danny Schechter in a few sentences. That is like asking Gandhi to write his own CV.

Let me start with the statement: If I didn't meet Danny in 1992, my life would be much different.

At the beginning of the Wars of Independence in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina I wrote a song called Can We Go Higher? as a plea to the world to stop the genocide in my country. It was a scream in the dark, until I met Danny, music to my ears, angel in disguise. To make it short Danny connected me with Kathy McManus and CBS's Street Stories with Ed Bradley, Billboard Magazine, CNN etc and the message got out. Editor for that CBS segment was Victor Zimet a man who later followed me with his camera for 15 years and made, with his partner Stephanie Silber, an award winning documentary film Everything Is Forever. Vic and Steph are as well my friends for life. Nothing of this would happen without you Danny. Later, Danny was present when I performed at Woodstock 1994, Concert with Luciano Pavarotti, Bono 1995...etc see the photos Danny took.

By definition Danny was a journalist, documentary filmmaker, social justice activist and media critic, but that would be a reduction and simplification of what Danny real was and is. The man who understood the world affairs; talks one minute to the president of a country and the next minute talks to a group of elementary school kids. Only highly intelligent and highly compassionate people can do that.

Danny did and could work for major networks as a highly paid producer. By being and staying as an independent journalist, Danny chose truth vs comfort. Only rare birds put such value on truth.

Danny was a treasure of knowledge ignored by the idiots in power. Even people who seek power can not pretend in front of the Heart of Gold. Even the most powerful are weak in front of integrity and goodness.

Yes Danny had a temper, but mostly with those who were not opened enough to listen. In my experience with Danny, if you had an ego, you could be offended, but if you were smart, you could learn a lot from him. Lucky me, I learned from Danny a lot. In the midst of papers flying, loud talking, gesturing and repetition, I could hear the truth, clearly. No mold could fit his character.

I can never forget when Danny went to Venice, Italy and brought back a serviette, cloth napkin, from an Ivo's Restaurant to give it to my young son Ivo, who used it for many years for dinner. Forward years later, precisely few weeks ago and see Ivo, now a medical doctor, and Danny enjoying each others company. Equally, I was deeply impressed with his daughter Sarah, then a little girl, now a grown up woman, so witty and beautiful, as Danny and I quite often exchanged the present state of our children.

Tears are not stopping as I think of how deeply we cared for each other. One tear of sadness for one tear of joy into a river.

Nenad Bach,

New York March 21, 2015




Danny Schechter and Nenad Bach at Globalvision, New York

Few photos that Danny took


Princess Di





Bono