Submitted by BrianNapoletano on 20 August, 2008 - 13:18
Posted in
In an effort to help people who are interested in learning the truth behind the stories and events portrayed in the corporate media, we have compiled a small collection of links to alternative news sources. Some of these resources are non-profit, some are privately run, some are public, and some are owned and operated by corporations -- we indicate which is the case for each. We have attempted to summarize each source's perspective as objectively as possible, but none of our reviews are entirely free of subjective evaluations. While many journalists in the mainstream media may honestly attempt to maintain "professional objectivity" when reporting, the inability to be truly objective frequently forces them to act as stenographers for the people in power 1 Independent journalists, on the other hand, may be more apt to include their own observations or opinions in what they report--although most will usually still clarify which information is fact and which is analysis. The upshot of the more rigorous journalism practiced in the independent press is that independent journalists are often more likely to get the facts right, their reports are much more interesting, and the point of views much more diverse.
Article Contents
US Media
Although the emphasis is on independent media, some corporate outlets are listed either because they offer a slightly different perspective than the bulk of the mainstream media, they offer insight into the priorities and concerns of the ruling class, or they are excellent examples of propaganda.
Daily News
| Outlet | Ownership | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CounterPunch | Public Broadcasting | A progressive newsletter dedicated to the stories that the mainstream media refuse to report. | Democracy Now! | Non-Profit | One of the most well-known independent radio and television news outlets that uses outlets like Pacifica Radio, public radio stations, and the Internet for distribution. Hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez |
| MRZine | Non-Profit | An independent socialist electronic news magazine published by the Monthly Review Foundation. |
| National Public Radio | Public | Ostensibly state-funded through the CPB to produce educational and informative material, the corporate media has prompted Congress to repeatedly cut funding and remove programming to eliminate any potential threats to the profitability of commercial broadcasting. | The New York Times | Corporate | The New York Times Company's flagship paper with an undeserved reputation as a liberal newspaper and the industry's "paper of record". Is notorious for ignoring perspectives that diverge from the mainstream consensus and for relying uncritically on US government sources2. |
| Salon.com | Corporate | Owned by the Salon Media Group, which launched it as the first commercial newspaper to be distributed solely over the Internet. While it is still struggling to return a profit, the unique distribution model has allowed it to expand the boundaries of discussion a bit further than the traditional corporate media. |
| Socialist Worker | Private | The International Socialist Organization's primary paper, with daily updates online and a monthly print edition, as well as a Spanish edition (Obrero Socialista |
| Truthout | Non-Profit | A non-profit online news outlet that focuses on issues that are poorly or under-represented in the mainstream media, and introduces new, independent writers. |
Periodicals
| Outlet | Ownership | Periodicity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| The American Prospect | Non-Profit | Monthly | Liberal journal that offers in-depth coverage of current issues from a liberal perspective. |
| Bitch Magazine | Non-Profit | Quarterly | Subtitled "Feminist response to pop culture," draws attention to the rampant sexism in popular culture and supports feminist alternatives. |
| Consortium News | Private | Ezine | Investigative journalism site founded by Robert Parry, one of the reporters who broke the Iran-Contra scandal. Focuses on political corruption and right-wing terrorism in Latin America. | Dollars and Sense | Non-Profit | Bimonthly | Edited by a collective of economists, journalists, and activists, covers economic justice and the media's treatment of economic issues. |
| In These Times | Non-Profit | Monthly | Progressive journal published by the Institute for Public Affairs in Chicago, primarily known for its investigative reporting on corporations and government corruption, international affairs, cultural criticism, and important social issues. |
| International Socialist Review | Private | Monthly | Also associated with the International Socialist Organization, provides detailed analysis and discussion of current and historical issues from a socialist perspective. | Monthly Review | Non-Profit | Monthly | Independent socialist print journal published by the Monthly Review Foundation that covers contemporary news in the broader context of "the present as history" |
| Ms. Magazine | Non-Profit | Quarterly | National magazine published by the Feminist Majority Foundation that covers issues related to feminism and women's struggles for social justice |
| The Nation | Private | Weekly | Independent progressive periodical containing articles from a variety of perspectives on the left. |
| The New Yorker | Corporate | Monthly | Aimed primarily at the upper and upper-middle classes, it focuses primarily on culture and entertainment in New York City and frequently publishes investigative pieces. |
| The Progressive | Non-Profit | Monthly | News magazine originally founded by US Senator Robert La Follette that promotes progressivism, civil rights and liberties, environmental sustainability, and pacificism. |
| Z Magazine | Non-Profit | Monthly | News magazine focused on issues of social justice and freedom from oppression that advocates a new economic system called "Participatory Economics," or "Parecon". |
World Media
Media in this section are based in regions of the world outside the United States, and may be independent or corporately owned. While even the corporate media outside the United States tends to be a bit more accurate and balanced than the domestic media, independent media are still more likely to give you a more detailed story, and going straight to the source is still the best option.
International
| Outlet | Host Country | Ownership | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter Press Service | Offices in Multiple Countries | Private/Non-Profit | An international news and information organization that focuses on empowering the "Global South". |
| UN News Centre | United States, Switzerland | United Nations News Service | Provides latest news about UN issues and activities. |
Europe
| Outlet | Host Country | Ownership | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBC | United Kingdom | Public | Media outlet in the UK with a reasonable degree of autonomy, although as neoliberalism and the US-based corporate media expands into Europe, it is slowly becoming more like the corporate-subsidized public broadcasting in the US. |
| The Guardian | United Kingdom | Private | Daily paper owned by a charitable trust committed to editorial independence; also offers a weekly periodical for international readers and covers issues in the United States fairly thoroughly. |
| The Irish Times | Ireland | Public Trust | Daily paper publicly owned by a trust dedicated to maintaining an independent news outlet |
| Le Monde diplomatique | France | Private/Autonomous | Monthly journal, now translated into 16 other languages, that has embraced advocacy journalism, supports popular struggle, and opposes globalization. A unique ownership arrangement grants the paper editorial autonomy, despite 51% ownership by the French daily paper Le Monde. |
Latin America
| Outlet | Host Country | Ownership | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiapas Support Committee | United States | Volunteer | CSC is a grassroots volunteer organization based in Oakland, California that produces a regular newsletter with updates on struggles in Chiapas, including the Zapatista uprising. |
| North American Congress on Latin America Report | United States | Non-Profit | Magazine published by an independent, nonprofit organization working to end oppression in Latin America. |
| El universal | Mexico | Corporate | One of Mexico's primary mainstream news outlets. |
Middle East
| Outlet | Host Country | Ownership | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Jazeera English | Qatar | Corporate | Although technically a corporate news agency headquartered in the Middle East, it provides more accurate coverage of regional issues than most corporate networks. Its "unembedded" reporters have the unique distinction of having been attacked by US forces on multiple occasions in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| Haaretz | Israel | Corporate | A self-proclaimed liberal newspaper, sometimes covers different Israeli perspectives decently, but rarely includes a Palestinian perspective. |
| Middle East Report | United States | Non-Profit | Seasonal journal published by the Middle East Research and Information Project, an independent organization based in Washington, D.C. |
| The Palestine Chronicle | United States | Private | An independent online newspaper that focuses on Palestine and Israel and other aspects of the Middle East. It tries to introduce writers and stories that are routinely ignored by other media. |
Media organizations
- Globalvision -- An independent media production and consulting service
- Independent Media Center -- Collective of independent media organizations and journalists
- Pacifica Radio -- A listener-supported national radio network that offers alternative programming without commercials. Among many other worthwhile programs, Pacifica airs the aforementioned Democracy Now!
- Z Communications -- Hosts Z Magazine, in addition to several other Zervices such as book lists, poetry and blogs. They also offer free site memberships that allow users to create their own "Z Space" pages with blogs and articles
Media advocacy
These organizations advocate reform of the national media and hold those in power accountable to the truth.
- Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting -- A progressive national media watch group that identifies and criticizes media bias
- Free Press -- Promotes reform of media policy and protections such as "Net Neutrality" (the notion that the users should be allowed to decide what content they want to access over broadband services ). Started by Josh Silver and the noted communication scholar Robert McChesney
- Institute for Public Accuracy -- Attempts to improve the quality of public discourse by providing reliable information to media agencies and journalists
- Media Channel -- Monitors the mainstream media and attempts to encourage honesty and integrity in mainstream journalism
- 1. For a more detailed analysis of mainstream commercial journalism and its many failures, consult Herman and Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media
and McChesney's The Political Economy of Media: Enduring Issues, Emerging Dilemmas
.
- 2. On 26 May 2004, the paper was forced to print a mea culpa where it admitted (albeit neither completely nor wholeheartedly) to failing to verify important stories that it ran to build domestic support for the war on Iraq that turned out to contain completely false or unsubstantiated allegations. On an interesting side note, after one of the journalists who authored and apparently failed to verify many of the stories building the war up, Judith Miller, was forced to resign from the New York Times, she was hired by FOX News as an on-air analyst.
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