Most people agree that much of the news we really need to know is not covered by traditional media. The problem with the three major TV networks or Fox News or Clear Chanel Communications is that, for the most part, they are now owned by bigger corporations who are not interested in news, but in profits.
So the news we get is skewed. Then there’s the problem of objectivity. I dont’ think it’s really possible for a reporter to be truly objective. I know I’m not, even when I work at it because I have a set of beliefs that filter the way I see the world.
Here are four alternative news sources I think every writer should at least be aware of, and possibly use:
- Alternet.org - their “aim is to inspire action and advocacy on the environment, human rights and civil liberties, social justice, media, health care issues, and more.” They also have a blog called PEEK and regularly include other blogs from all sorts of sources on their site.
- The Raw Story is frankly liberal, and has become a trusted source of alternative news.
- Alternative News attempts to cover the world. Their front page news feed often has items you won’t find anywhere else. Some you’ll wish you hadn’t found, some are funny and some darn important.
- Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN) is the trade organization for many of the alternative weeklies so many of us find in our own communities. Their site tends to highlight items from their members so you’ll find stories from all over the United States.
Now, as I said, I’m not very objective. These are liberal or progressive sources of news. If there’s a conservative out there that wants to put together a similar list of that side of the political divide I’ll consider it and probably publish it. Send me an email with Conservative Links in the subject line.
Write well and often,
Image from http://www.sxc.hu
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Anne,
Have you also thought of weird news? I typed it into “Google” one day last week after reading a book on bizarre animals and came up with some very interesting sites.
Weird News Files
“25 Weirdest Newspaper Headlines”
http://weirdnewsfiles.com/weirdnews/25-weirdest-newspaper-headlines/
National Geographic News
“Weird News”
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/weird.html
SkyNews
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Strange-News
Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird
http://www.newsoftheweird.com/
Just to give you an idea of some of the “weirdness” out there.
May or may not be appropriate for some. May make you laugh, shudder, shake your head, etc.
I guess some of the stories can spark an idea for an alternative, unique blog post, website post, novel, etc.
Michelle Kafka’s last blog post..Writing Tool For The Writer/Virtual Office – Zoho
Thanks Jonathan… hottest stores etc. can lead to writing ideas. Didn’t know about either site… love my audience
Also be sure to check out http://www.memeorandum.com, which uses an algorithm (and some human help) to list the hottest stories, grouped by topic. It even identifies how left or right the news source is.
For a far-left view, http://www.counterpunch.org is another source, but I dislike their anti-Israel stance.