One of Americans’ favorite topics to gripe about is the woeful state of American journalism. However, the angles of attack are as varied as people’s political opinions.
For some, the majority of journalists seem to have a liberal bias. For others, the rise of corporate journalism has led to malpractice and power worship among reporters and journalists.
Many often argue that today’s journalism is too biased either to the left or right, and some others say objective journalism is a pipe dream that should give way to critical journalism that openly embraces a point of view.
So it’s no surprise that many Americans of all stripes yearn for independent news, but what that means to them also varies with their opinions about journalism.
Here is a guide to different types of independent news sources:
IVN.us
IVN is a platform for unfiltered political news and policy analysis from independent-minded authors, governed by a simple etiquette. IVN encourages contributors and readers across the political spectrum to engage in civil and productive discussion on the issues and topics that are important to voters, but are under-reported or ignored by other media outlets.
The Real News Network
It is politically independent and focuses on breaking away from “blindly following wire services or official press releases that attempt to set the news agenda.” RNN relies on donations from viewers and readers and does not run advertisements or accept donations from corporations or governments. Its contributors are independent filmmakers and journalists that delve into stories that are not covered or under-reported by the mainstream media.
Dissent Magazine
A nonprofit magazine that covers news from the left side of the political spectrum, Dissent made its mark in the late 1960s and has recently made its way online. The magazine does not endorse political parties or candidates. Don't let its unapologetic philosophic stance fool you; its contributors cover, and criticize, the Left from a variety of radical perspectives, often at the expense of Democratic progressives. It's a great source for stories that are of interest to voters who want to learn more about issues and movements of a more liberal persuasion, but are ignored by the regular press corps.
The American Conservative
Traditional conservative magazine founded in 2002. It is explicitly nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. Its conservatism, however, does not necessarily make it an ally of the GOP; TAC makes a point of using most of its energy to criticize conservatives from the right. A foil to Dissent, it's a great source for stories that are of interest to American conservatives looking for a fresh perspective.
ProPublica
The country’s pre-eminent online, nonprofit investigative news outlet. While mainstream organizations like CNN have cut or entirely eliminated investigative departments, ProPublica has led the way in the emerging nonprofit, investigative journalism realm. Its stories are often reprinted in outlets like the New York Times and other large-circulation platforms.
The key to its success is that editors and journalists are not under pressure to make a profit, which allows them to conduct long-term investigations that traditional, corporate-owned media are unwilling to fund.
Democracy Now!
A national daily television and radio news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. The organization relies on donations from viewers and listeners and seeks to cover the stories ignored by traditional media. Goodman and Gonzalez host journalists and intellectuals with the intention of getting perspectives and stories that don't make it past editors and producers at other outlets.
What other news sources do you use to stay informed?
Photo Credit: Mitrija / shutterstock.com