Sidebar
This is an old revision of the document!
Alternative Media: Chicago's Journalism Ecosystem Alternative and independent media outlets have contributed to diversifying news coverage by focusing on local issues or community. These smaller organisations often cater to one group or issue. The editorial decisions you make may be made by a smaller group that lacks resources and the capacity to hire professional journalist. Many people involved in such organizations are also actively involved in social movements. They are activists by nature and their work often adheres with the normative values that social movement theory emphasizes, such as deliberative participation and alternative narratives.
It is important at this critical time to understand how political situations shape the values and organizational practices they support. This special issue contains papers that shed light on the process of transformation.
In order to understand and study media, political systems are crucial. Different political theories have different conceptions of public spheres and democracy. They also differ in the way these outlets should operate. 2019; Figenschou and Frischlich 2019). While some researchers emphasize the concept of citizen’s media which encourages participation, others may focus on diversity in media coverage to counter ideology hegemony.
Another critical question regarding alternative media is its definition. Some authors adopt a relational framework that characterizes alternative media as forms of self-proclaimed correctives that challenge dominant discourse (Harlow 2022), while other scholars utilize an analytical framework to study how different this form of media from mainstream ones and whether their influence extends further than mainstream.
Aslan Ozgul & Veneti (2022) investigate how the organizational structures and power relations within large alternative news projects in Turkey & Greece change as they grow. They find that some of these projects retain a participatory and collective culture even though their staff and output increases. The study suggests that this change could influence whether or not these initiatives retain their “alternativeness” while becoming more like professional actors.
Block Club Chicago provides an example of this growing recognition, reporting on local events and issues within Chicago neighborhoods. This organization illustrates the importance of community journalism in bridging gaps among residents. It promotes civic participation and gives people the power to make their own decisions. By focusing on community stories, this project seeks to ensure all Chicagoans have access to the information necessary for living a fulfilling and sustainable life in chicago il byline bank aragon ballroom (illinoismail.top). As such, it serves as an example for other organizations looking for ways they could serve as the bridge towards civic engagement our city's mainline media has failed or refused to provide.
