Alternative Media Who?

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Alternative Media Who?

My group was focused on Mediasphere and my topic specifically covered Alternative Media. While trying to find a true definition of what alternative media is, I found it was best defined by what it is not. "Whatever ideas lie beyond the pale, whatever is not accepted, not permitted, not available in the corporate and government mainstream"- Charles Willett. To me this implies that it is the news source that is not mainstream or corporate owned. Inevitability, there are both good and bad implications to this concept. To begin, it represents and gives voice to the “secondary” who are often times ignored by the mainstream media. Additionally it gives people the opportunity to research the news that is important to them, without it being corrupt or overflowing with “general” news. People also firmly believe that alternative media seeks political and social change because it gives voice to those who are seeking it. With all of that being said, many believe that alternative media is mostly polarized and appeals to typically only a small subsection of the population. Due to the smaller audience, alternative media outlets are much harder to access (however supporters of alternative media are faithful to their sources, since they do not trust mainstream media!) Lastly, critics of alternative media, seemingly believe that they should be referred to as tabloids and conspiracy theories. Alternative media serves as useful outlet in society because it can help get newsworthy stories onto the mainstream media. If a particular story gains enough attention on a smaller platform, the mainstream media might be more inclined to latch on. In addition, it provides consumers with less objectivity but rather a variety of perspectives and the opportunity to form a unique opinion. Also, as Professor Richard Sambrook at Cardiff University states, “They can provide eyewitness pictures or accounts from the ground, stories and information outside mainstream attention, diverse opinions, and a broader range of expertise by being more networked than most news organisations.” We as a society are affected in the way of raw and diverse exposure. We are given access to news that is not all “made uniform,” and a platform for us to form opinions of our own due to a wide range of perspectives at hand.

https://lisahaven.news/2015/04/mainstream-media-versus-alternative-media-whos-better/

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