alternative media
Non-corporate news sources
Alternative media refers to news sources, publications, or platforms operating outside mainstream corporate or state-controlled outlets.
The term covers everything from independent journalism and community radio to partisan websites and conspiracy-oriented channels.
What counts as alternative depends on perspective—left-wing activists and right-wing populists both claim the label while dismissing each other's sources as propaganda.
She gets her news exclusively from alternative media.
Personal online publications
- podcastsEpisodic digital audio programs
- vlogsFilmed online journal entries
- zinesAmateur self-published booklets
- webinarsStreamed educational broadcasts
streaming · online forums · self-publishing · social networking · community radio · independent film · public access · samizdat
Below ground or countercultural
- subcultureGroup with alternative norms
- punkRaw, fast rock genre
- zineSelf-published small periodical
- DIYAmateur home projects
indie · nonconformist · radical · fringe · dissent · subversive · iconoclast · hippie
Biased information for influence
- echo chamberSelf-reinforcing information environment
- confirmation biasPreferring belief-supporting information
- fake newsIntentionally deceptive media content
- misinformationFalse data spread unintentionally
disinformation · spin · slant · framing · agenda setting · filter bubble · cherry-picking · partisanship
Editors' right to decide
- nonprofitOrganization serving public good
- ad-freeWithout promotional interruptions
- unaffiliatedNot formally connected
- paywalledBlocked until purchased
member-owned · autonomous · uncensored · unfiltered · Patreon
Collective of connected people
- localOf this area
- decentralizedLacking single authority
- word-of-mouthInformation shared through conversation
- crowdfundingRaising capital from masses
cooperative · nonprofit · volunteer · participatory · open-source · collective · neighborhood · town hall
blogs
Personal online publications
- podcastsEpisodic digital audio programs
- vlogsFilmed online journal entries
- zinesAmateur self-published booklets
webinars · streaming · online forums · self-publishing · social networking · community radio · independent film · public access · samizdat · pirate radio
underground
Below ground or countercultural
- subcultureGroup with alternative norms
- punkRaw, fast rock genre
- zineSelf-published small periodical
DIY · indie · nonconformist · radical · fringe · dissent · subversive · iconoclast · hippie · beatnik
propaganda
Biased information for influence
- echo chamberSelf-reinforcing information environment
- confirmation biasPreferring belief-supporting information
- fake newsIntentionally deceptive media content
misinformation · disinformation · spin · slant · framing · agenda setting · filter bubble · cherry-picking · partisanship · clickbait
editorial freedom
Editors' right to decide
- nonprofitOrganization serving public good
- ad-freeWithout promotional interruptions
- unaffiliatedNot formally connected
paywalled · member-owned · autonomous · uncensored · unfiltered · Patreon
community
Collective of connected people
- localOf this area
- decentralizedLacking single authority
- word-of-mouthInformation shared through conversation
crowdfunding · cooperative · nonprofit · volunteer · participatory · open-source · collective · neighborhood · town hall · community bulletin
- journalismreporters, interview, editors, student editors, school paper
- alternative mediaunderground press, citizen journalism, zine, zines, community radio
- Dissentprotest art, civil disobedience, dissidents, protest songs, protest poetry
- indie mediaindie music, indie films, indie games, indie bands, indie rock
- media literacyfact checking, news literacy, critical thinking, information literacy, credibility
- mediatelevision, news, broadcasting, video, radio station
alternative mediamainstream media
Dominant news establishment
legacy media · media conglomerates · network television · commercial broadcasting · state media
alternative mediamass media
Large-scale communication channels
mainstream media · broadcast networks · broadcast media · network news · cable news
medium, media, mediator, alternative, alternate, mediate, alternating, alternatives, mediating