Tired of the Mainstream Media? There are alternatives!!

I am exceeding tired of watching CNN, FOX, and even MSNBC (sorry Olberman). Are you? There are alternative media sources out there!!

If you are reading a blog, then I know you are interested in alternative media!

Blogs are cool because they offer us, the general public, a chance to add to the free exchange of ideas!! What is not so cool is that the free exchange of ideas has not been free, or even cheap for quite some time. It really has not even been an exchange, ever since television became the #1 media format, driving newspapers and magazines nearly underground and driving up the cost of programming! Far too often, media operates under an assumption of what is desired by the masses and acceptable to the mainstream in a manner that produces too many stories that enable the manufacturing of our consent (see Noam Chomsky for more on this concept). Any critically thinking viewer was painfully aware of this while watching America Strikes Back (my phrase) type of coverage after 9-11 and particularly the Shock and Awe coverage of the Iraq invasion in 2003.

I typically seek out alternative news sources to supplement my regular news cravings because I know there is more going on in the world than the election, Rev. Wright, and Brittney's custody hearings.

The pundits make their living sensationalizing our world. I think this is important to remember. I think you know it, but, perhaps, you feel compelled to stay informed.

Watching mainstream media outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and Fox has its place. After all, it is, still, what everyone else is watching. You want to know what they know. Also, there are some keen analysts out there who can interpret events and help us see the significance of events, which is what makes them worthy news casters, Keith Olderman is one example, and even though he is on a comedy show, Jon Stewart is another. On Comedy Central's the Daily Show, where quite a few people get a regular dose of news, Stewart does an excellent job of getting straight to the key issues of the day. He also nicely connects current events to what happened in the past. This makes things funny as well as essential for our for understanding of a big picture. Otherwise, someone like Cheney can claim he never said that Saddam Hussein was connected to the 9-11 attacks, or a bunch of other claims, and people who were not paying attention or who have a short-term memory could believe him.

If you are in the mood for some alternative media, something that touches on issues at a variety of levels of national and global significance, and it not as biased toward some corporate network owner's values, or, at the least, is not skewed by their perspective of what you want, then check out Democracy Now and the News Hour with Jim Lehrer. You do not need cable to watch either of these shows. The News Hour is on PBS and Democracy Now is available online. I typically watch the podcasts.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to hear Democracy Now on the radio, specifically Pacifica radio stations. The show is broadcast on 737 stations worldwide. I discovered Democracy Now while living in DC and listening to WPFW-DC live. After that, I was hooked! With her Edward R. Murrow-esque tone, it is easy to become absorbed in what she is talking about. Co-host Juan Gonzalez is also engaging and direct.

You can also catch Democracy Now on satellite television on the Link-TV: Television Without Boarders and Free Speech-TV channels. Both of these channels provide incredible documentaries and informative programing that offer insights into some key issues of our global economy such as deforestation in the rain forest, the life style of people in western china, the impact of medicine on people's development, and war in the Congo as well as AIDS concerts, film festivals, international music videos and so much more. I have also been trying to get into Al Gore's TV/Internet experiement: Current TV, which is an interactive media of user developed content. We can watch things online and then vote for things we like. Programs with the most votes go on the TV channel. Some of it is amazing, others not so great. But it is always interesting.

Go beyond what networks and sponsors want you to see and explore the alternatives.

Neither Democracy Now nor the News Hour have changed their format to mimic the visual spectacle to which you may have grown accustomed. Therefore, it may be hard for you to consider it "a real news show." For those of you who are more likely to watch Brian Williams or Katie Couric, you should also be expecting a bit of a change, but hold in there. These news shows will give you more detailed information on a variety of hard hitting issues.

I would consider The News Hour and Democracy Now essential viewing for staying up to date on important current events. If you watch these shows, you may even lose the feeling that you MUST stay tuned into the 24 hour news cycle.

Do yourself a favor, step away from the sensationalist media and try to stay focused on journalists with perspective and restraint and a desire to keep you informed on a variety of issues.


Okay, there are, of course, more sources of alternative media.
Here is a developing list (please post any sources you know and love):

Mother Jones
TruthOut
ZNet
Alternative News Network
Counter Punch
Buzz Flash
Behind the Home Front
AlterNet
Utne Reader
Independent Media Center
RINF: The Breaking News Alternative

Click for a list to more resources from Michael Moore