Unit I: Alternative Media

1. Alternative Media – What is Alternative Media?

Alternative media are media that differ from established or

dominant types of media in terms of their content, production, or
distribution. Alternative media take many forms including print,
audio, video, Internet and street art.

“Alternative Media” is a slippery term fraught with multiple

meanings. Ranging from community radio to fan zines to news
websites, it covers a wide gamut of media forms that challenge the
status quo. There are at least two general definitions of alternative
media. In its most expansive and popular use, the term “alternative
media” includes all media that are somehow opposed to or in
tension with mainstream media.

The main aim of alternative media is to offer different perspective

that presents the truths that is not under the control of goverment
or big business organizations. Alternative media may involve
traditional media forms such as newspaper, magazines, television,
radio and film, like mainstream media, as well as non-traditional
media such as zines and other web-based publications (e-books, e-
magazines, blogs, streamed video).Additionally it also includes street
theatre, dance, murals, postering, leaflet, comics, grafiti. The main
function is to challenge to status quo and provide alternative
perspectives. In conclusion, alternative media serves participatory
platforms that share and express free idea via created
communication way.

Based on the “Another media is possible” idea of the alternative

media has many different forms in the world. It gives voices to the
voiceless, media power to the powerless as well as to transcend the
filtering and censorship of information by corporate information
monopolies, state monopolies, or cultural monopolies in public
information and communication. Plenty of web sites, tabloid
magazines, comics, social platform, graffiti, news portal, public
theatre can named in alternative media.

Content and form of traditional media are ideological. It is not

independent of the state rules. Because of this, mainstream and/or
traditional media have to faithful to rules which decides what can be
said or not. Therefore, the most power of the alternative media is
making it visible to the truth. Because, alternative media cannot
precluded in certain extent.

This condition be seen principally economic perspective,

unemployment, sexism, ethnic discrimination, etc. Traditional media
are covered by the rules of law and financial resources which are the
most powerful censorship. Therefore, number of alternative media
producers is increasing with each passing day. And alternative media
sources usually explain of the real reason and/or number for
incidents. As a consequence, alternative media is crosscheck for
traditional media and dominants.
Source: http://iletisim.ieu.edu.tr
2. Features and Characteristics of Alternative Media