Alternative media is a key component to the theory of digital democracy and the public sphere. No longer restrained to limited publics, the internet has allowed for organizations to expand and reach audiences on a global scale. Alternative media are non-corporate; independently owned which are often developed from basic grass roots organisations. They target issues which are under or misrepresented within mainstream media, and are often affiliated and networked with many grass-roots organisations (Meikle, 2002, p. 60). Alternative media adds to public discussion and debate concerning various issues. The common phrase “think global act local� is no truer in this context. These media outlets are based in local areas across the world. While linked with traditional alternative media forms such as community based or pirate radio, and local television, this has since been combined with innovative streaming technologies. Once established these outlets are linked in an international network of alternative media (Kidd, 1999). This has become increasingly important as mainstream media organisations are continually converging, allowing less opportunity for differing points of view.
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Indymedia is a collective grassroots alternative media outlet and is a collaboration of efforts spanning the globe. Indymedia was first set up in 1999 for organising the WTO anti-globalisation protests. It has since spread and now covers many issues and events that either receive no coverage by the mainstream media, or if the information seems biased. Indymedia has a personalised site for many parts of the world (including Brisbane) which cover local issues and events. Indymedia offers live streaming radio from different IMC’s across the globe as well as a monthly news video and has the ability for viewers to add their own content. With the increases in streaming media technology, IMC could soon become a major alternative of news broadcasting for everyday people. (Meikle, 2002, pp. 88-95). The IMC is made possible by the open-source technology it uses. Citizens and activists can instantly upload stories and video clips onto the websites. During the WTO event the site received over 1.5 millions hits during the week (Tarleton, 2000). The IMC differs from main stream media as there are no “gatekeepers� or editors for what content is posted onto the websites.
Since September 11, 2001, maybe citizens were unhappy with the media coverage of the event. This spurred people to become involved in discussion surrounding the event and politics itself. http://www.instapundit.com/ was one of the first blogging websites having a tremendous jump in users after the attacks, and now receives over 100000 hits daily. While there had been much political discussion/blogs by theorists, journalists and academics, September 11 saw a huge embrace by many ordinary, non-paid unprofessional’s to enter a discussion of current-events (Welch, Jensen, and Reeves, 2003). This has allowed many people access to information and has therefore given them an alternative venue to which they can receive their news. They can now contribute and debate information to which they are exposed to. What is essential is that these blogs allow for un-edited, personal, and eye-witness testimonies to actual events. They allow for specialisation and filtering. Readers can easily find information and current news relating to very micro topics, and then able to discuss this with other people. This could obviously not be achieved by traditional main stream media, and has made information more reliable and readily available (Welch, Jensen, and Reeves, 2003).
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Jason Spierings 22:15, 27 Oct 2004 (EST)
