Alternative Media V. Mainstream Media

The main difference between alternative media and mainstream media is who views it. Mainstream media is viewed by a lot more people than alternative media. Media is defined as the main means of mass communication regarded collectively.  Media can be found in broadcasting, publishing, or the internet. 

Mainstream media is a lot easier to find than alternative media because it has built up so much trust by the public. Mainstream media has more viewers because it usually represents generally accepted ideas and beliefs. These are companies such as Fox News, CNN, and New York Times. These are well-funded companies because people watch and listen to what they want to hear. Mainstream media seeks to make as much money as possible so they give people what they want. There is no real care for their viewers, they just want as many viewers as possible. Obviously, they care that their viewers come back and use their source again, but there is no real connection to viewers. Mainstream media also promotes societal norms and will rarely ever challenge them. This is a major issue in news sources today because if they find a story that is meaningful but, it may cause controversy with their audience they will not broadcast it. Another issue that I've personally had with news agencies is that they will only cover a major story for about a week even if it goes on for a month. For example, when the war between Russia and Ukraine first started there was so much coverage and everyone had a good idea of what was going on. After just a few weeks there was little to no coverage and everyone doesn't have a good idea of what is going on unless they do research on their own. Mainstream media is considered to be more credible than alternative media, but sometimes major sources will pick up a story that was originally published by an alternative media source. There has been some credibility lost because of "fake news" but, mainstream media is still considered more credible. 

Alternative media has a lot fewer viewers than mainstream media does, its audience is a lot more selective as well. This type of media focuses on specific viewpoints and ideas and typically goes against the public's beliefs. Some examples of alternative media sources are Zero Hedge, South Front, and Signs of the Times. Personally, I had never heard of any of these sources before except for Signs of the Times. I did some research on their websites and thought that they didn't look anything like major news source's websites. They looked very underfunded and some covered very specific topics. To me, South Front's website looked like a cheap online video game website. It only covers news on wars and militaries. Alternative media viewers are a lot more faithful to their sources because they simply don't trust mainstream media. A lot of these sources are actually funded by their audience. There are a lot of people who believe that mainstream media is not credible and they just tell lies, so they don't mind funding a source that they believe covers stories that are valuable and true. Unlike mainstream media, alternative media isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Their viewers want these norms to be challenged that's why they rely on these sources. Alternative media is considered to be less credible than mainstream and their stories are really only considered credible when they are picked up by a mainstream source. Personally, I like that there are sources that aren't afraid to challenge general beliefs because Americans shouldn't have their ideas come from major companies that are only trying to make money by agreeing with the public. The issue is that alternative sources don't bring in a lot of money which basically forces them to ask their viewers to fund it. I like how there is a different perspective that is being shown in alternative media. The issue is in our society today people are so quick to shut down a different perspective before it is even explained.