Alternative Media

To be entirely honest, up until recently I was the type of person who avoided watching the news; so much so that my family made fun of me for years because I really didn’t know what was going on. I think I was so hesitant to tune into nightly news because so much of it seemed so depressing to me and I wanted to look away. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was choosing to be ignorant about what's really doing on in the world today. I think that there are too many people out there, who choose to look the other way when it comes to sensitive subjects. Sometimes, it's easier for people to brush things under the rug than to begin to question if what we are doing as a nation is right or wrong. Debra Zimmerman while talking about lesbian films, filmmakers and their audience, wrote in her article 'Women Make Movies' that "I think that's the biggest problem women filmmakers have right now -- when they go through all the struggle to make films that really represent their vision, they are not received well with the general public" (Zimmerman, 262).This speaks to the notion that at times the public would rather dismiss or ignore a controversial issue it if it makes them at all uncomfortable.

 

As a media studies major, many of my classes have required me to tune in and pay attention to multiple news outlets. In doing so, I have been able to recognize some of the distinctions between mainstream and alternative news media.  

 

Much of what is shown to the audiences of mainstream news are distorted misrepresentations. The giant media corporations who fund mainstream media have the power to decide what is news-worthy and what is not, hence controlling what is shown in an attempt to control media consumers’ ideas.  Commercial enterprises and corporations are in control of the mainstream news which many in this country tune in to. For this reason, mainstream media often ‘plays it safe’ because they can’t or do not want to offend or question anyone in a position of power, whether it be a politician or a network executive.  Corporation heads dictate what is/isn’t allowed to be reported and have so much power in what is relayed to the American public.  This sort of news reporting does not leave room for opinionated people with controversial thoughts and ideas. Any serious investigative journalist would most likely feel stifled in a mainstream media work environment.

Alternative media, also known as independent media, provides a voice for those thought provoking people who have been marginalized and vilified by mainstream media. Alternative media exists in different mediums (print, TV, online, radio) and differs from mainstream in its content and delivery of information. Unlike the passive mainstream media consumers, alternative press audiences want to see real change and progression in the world we live in. Alternative news media has a different set of values, objectives, and frameworks than the mainstream and provides a variety of information with different interpretations of the world, which cannot be found in mainstream news.  Alternative/independent media adds to the public discourse by providing the thoughts and opinions of groups of people whose voices are often not acknowledged otherwise.

 

Not only are there differences in the content and delivery of stories between mainstream and alternative news, but the physical appearance of the news correspondents differs as well. Female reporters in mainstream news are, for the most part relatively young and attractive.  When tuning into the (mainstream) news at 10PM, female reporters generally have full hair and make-up done and although they dressed conservatively they still look somewhat glamorous. Women working in alternative news media look more distinguished and concerned with the issues at hand rather than their own appearance. This is not to say that they look bad in any way, or that the more done up females on mainstream news are not serious about their journalistic work. However, it makes me wonder if there is a conscious effort made to make mainstream news correspondents more physically appealing in order to draw in bigger audiences/ratings. I would not be at all surprised if large monopolistic corporations who own and run the mainstream news dictated everything from the casting of female reporters based on standards of ideal beauty to deciding what their wardrobe, make-up and hairstyle should look like. Power, when in the hands of people who only care about money and profit, can be a very scary reality.

 

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Alternative/Independent:

 

 

 

Alternative media journalists and news correspondents typically have more freedom to report ugly truths. American society has been known to look away from devastating true facts, such as innocent civilian casualties of war. Alternative media reporter Amy Goodman is not one to shy away from such issues.

Because of her participation in numerous protests and investigative journalist, Amy Goodman has been arrested in the United States and internationally. She has traveled around the world to expose stories (both in print and documentaries), even if the consequences of doing so have nearly cost her her life and put her in jail. Goodman began her career in 1995 at Pacifica Radio, an independent community non-profit radio station in New York. In February 1996 Pacifica Radio’s Democracy Now first aired and superseded its original expectations, as it had found its audience. Goodman and Juan Gonzalez are the co-founders of Democracy Now! , which In order to maintain their independence, Democracy Now doesn’t accept advertisers, corporate underwriting, or government funding. Rather, it is entirely publicly funded through contributions of listeners, foundations. Democracy Now! is the only independent global news broadcast on the community radio, satellite and cable television, and internet www.DemocracyNow.org daily.

Amy Goodman knows that in order for the public to get the full, real, unbiased stories, we must be aware of more that just what mainstream media shoves in our face. We must look at multiple credible sources with different viewpoints. Only then will we be truly informed citizens. People like Amy Goodman want to see change and progression and are willing to fight for it, which is inspirational.

 

 In the clips from a speech she gave in 2004, Goodman promotes the use of alternative media and focuses on the sad truths of war and how there is a need for more harsh but truthful reality in media. Goodman points out the overwhelming number of innocent civilian casualties in war and how international news tends to acknowledge this while domestic news does not.  Goodman explains, “freedom of the press is eroding under corporate control”.

 

 

 

On Friday Democracy Now! reported that as early as next week, house law makers could vote to pass a controversial data sharing bill called CISA Cyber Intelligent Sharing and Protection Act, which critics say would allow private internet companies like Google , Microsoft and Facebook to hand over confidential customer records and communications to the national security agency like the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security . If this bill is passed, it will effectively legalize a secret domestic surveillance program. CISPA passed the House Intelligence Committee with a vote of 18-2, proposals to protect user privacy were rejected. Situations like this, where powerful entities take advantage of their control, contradict the internet's original purpose to give people opportunities to surf the web freely.