Alternative News Media, Media Criticism, and Political Research

On this page you will find links to sites that go beyond the news you get in the mainstream media

This page:
Alternative News Media | Media Criticism | Political Research

Alternative News Media

• Alternative Press Review - Reviews of 'zines and excerpts
• AlterNet.org - News service with original investigative journalism on issues like the environment, drug war, technology, sexual politics, and health issues
• The American Prospect - Liberal magazine
• Common Dreams - "Breaking news & views for the progressive community"
• Grist Magazine - Environmental news and humor
• Independent Media Center - A collective network "for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth." Formed at the time of the 1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle
• Mother Jones - Progressive news magazine
• The Nation - Fighting the good fight since 1865
• The New Republic - Not all that alternative, but it's from the liberal side of the spectrum
• The Progressive - For peace and social justice since 1909
• Project Censored - Picks the top 25 censored (i.e., neglected) news stories every year. In the meantime, points out stories the mainstream media are currently missing or avoiding
• ProPublica - Non-profit investigative journalism
• Tom Paine.com - Original articles and reprints from other sources, in the tradition of one of America's great revolutionaries
• Truthout - Other views on the news, often from liberal politicians and columnists

Index:

• Alternative Press Center - Publishers of the Alternative Press Index, in libraries everywhere

Web Directories of Alternative Media:

• New Pages - Indie bookstores and Indie record labels, as well as:
  • Guide to Alternative Magazines
  • Guide to Alternative Newsweeklies
  • New Pages Weblog
• Alternative Press Center's Online Directory
• Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (U.S. and Canada)
• FAIR's List of Online News Sources

Media Criticism

The site that was in this spot has been removed due to its suddenly anti-Semitic editorial policy

• Disinformation - Says that "you are being lied to" and "everything you know is wrong." Whether or not that's the case, don't believe everything you read. [disinfo.com]
• Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) - Points out the "media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints"
• I Want Media - News about the media
• MCS: The Media and Communications Studies Site - Directory of media outlets and critical studies of the media
• Media Channel.org - Commentary on the news and the media that report it
• Media Matters for America - One of the leading media criticism organizations
• On the Media - A public radio program examining current media and news reporting
• PR Watch - The Center for Media and Democracy points out PR and spin masquerading as news
• Romanesko's Media News - Frequent updates on what's happening in media. Can be a bit inside baseball for most. From the site for journalists: Poynter.org

Media Monopoly:

• The Big Ten (The Nation)
• Conservative Media Owners [LiberalSlant.com]
• Media Giants (Frontline, PBS)
• Well Connected - News and a database of media ownership (TV and radio) by the Center for Public Integrity
• Who Owns What (Columbia Journalism Review)
• Other Resources - Data, statistics, other media links (I Want Media)

Political Research

If you're skeptical of what you're told about politics, read the raw material of political news at these sites

• Daniel Tsang - Librarian at UC Irvine
• Political Science Resources - Many links
• News and Newspapers
• Federation of American Scientists - Seeks the truth about issues of war and peace
• The Memory Hole - Displays documents and photos those in power try to cover up ("Rescuing Knowledge, Freeing Information")
• Muckety - Charts relationships among newsmakers, politicians, lobbyists, corporations, non-profits, etc.
• National Security Archive - Research institute that collects documentary evidence of the U.S. government's international policy activities
• Open Secrets - Reports on contributions to U.S. politicians
• The Public Eye - Web site of Political Research Associates, which "works to facilitate public understanding of the threat posed to human rights by oppressive and authoritarian right-wing movements in the United States"
• The Smoking Gun - Actual documents from news stories. Many of them have to do with celebrities, crime, and celebrities accused of crimes, but you can find some good political stuff here, too
• Wikileaks - Though I don't approve of their methods, you could learn some interesting things here about how governments work