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Real News
If the only news you get is mainstream and corporate-sponsored, you'll get a very distorted view of the world. Here's some alternative media sources we recommend (note that all links will open in a new browser):
- There's nothing quite like Indy Media.
From across the U.S. and around the globe, many
Indy Media writers are serious journalists and
do outstanding work. In addition, IM has an
"open publishing" policy, meaning that some
writers are highly biased and inaccurate --
but that's often the case with corporate media
too. On the plus side, you can read stories
here that are real, fresh, and simply aren't
reported anywhere else. (In 2002, a San Francisco
Indy Media story made the coveted "Top 25 Stories
of the Year" award at Project Censored.) Main
web site has links to all their satellite bureaus,
as well as new articles updated daily, and archived
stories. http://www.indymedia.org/
- The Common Dreams News Center,
"Breaking News and Views for the Progressive
Community," is an Impressive clearinghouse of
news and information sources. It also posts
strong articles and commentary of its own, updated
daily. Coordinated by an independent non-profit
group, you can here access everything from the
White House press briefing to Protest.net, to
The Gay Financial News, to scads of progressive
columnists (Jim Hightower, Molly Ivins, Naomi
Klein, Granny D...). We could put a dozen link
to some of our favorite publications, like Mother
Jones and Utne Reader, but these folks have
already done it for us. Common Dreams has its
own Progressive Newswire service and email list
you can sign up on. http://www.commondreams.org/
- For real -- and sometimes stunning -- coverage
of "what's going on," get addicted to "Democracy
Now." This is a one-hour program hosted
by Amy Goodman, broadcast Monday thru Friday
on 120 public radio and public access TV stations
across the U.S. The web site has station listings
for your locations, and also posts the stories
in print form. http://www.democracynow.org/
- Project Censored comes out
of the journalism department of Sonoma State
University, California. PC reads 'em all and
chooses the top under-reported stories within
the press, subjects either ignored or buried
by the mainstream. The winners are collected
into a yearly book (and can also be accessed
online at this web site). The awards, re-publication,
and surrounding publicity have become quite
influential, forcing the ho-hum hacks (er, corporate
journalists) to pay attention. On the web site,
check out PC's new section, "Junk Food News."
There's also a radio broadcast streaming over
the web (you'll need to download the Real Player
program). http://www.projectcensored.org/
- Possibly the premier community radio station
in America, KPFA, out of Berkeley,
California, is often amazing, occasionally boring,
and generally terrific. Lots of independent
thinkers, interviews (Starhawk has often been
featured), newscasts, listener call-ins, live
coverage of anti-war rallies, and other groovy
stuff. Fiercely loyal audience, serious community
participation. Broadcasting all over northern
and central California at 94.1 FM, KPFA and
its sister stations can also be heard streaming
over the web (you'll need to download the Real
Player program). http://www.KPFA.org/
- FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting)
is a media watch group offering well-documented
criticism of media bias and censorship. These
folks are the journalists you dreamed of being
back when reporters were heroes. They produce
a dynamite weekly radio show, CounterSpin, heard
on 125 noncommercial stations across the US
and Canada. CounterSpin examines the major new
stories and exposes what the mainstream media
missed, or misrepresented, in their coverage.
Example: how the mainstream ignores and dismisses
dissent in America, and sneers at many-thousands
of demonstrators in the street. Listing of stations,
the show itself, and archives, are available
at http://www.fair.org/.
Many other interesting things on this site,
including e-list and media resources for activists.
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