Alternative media giving a voice to the voiceless

The Salvadoran community media has always been different — alternative in the most hard-core sense of the word.

A strong alternative cultural tradition is represented in names that have become household words in this country, such as Roque Dalton, the tragic poet laureate of the Salvadoran revolution and Mariposa (“Butterfly”), the voice of Radio Venceremos during the guerrilla struggle.

More here

Melbourne Alt. Media Unity Symposium

The desperate need for community an alternative media to work together in fighting for space in the new technological age has never been greater.

Open Spectrum Australia is organising a symposium in Melbourne entitled Quality//Control on Friday 17 October. It will cover issues pertaining the future of alternative/community media and the possible need for collaboration.

It will involve several guest speakers and workshops to strategise possible ways forward for the media in Australia.


When: 9am-5pm, Friday 17th October 2008
Where: State Library of Victoria Theatrette
328 Swanston Street (corner Latrobe Street)Melbourne VIC 3000
For more information, please contact Open Spectrum Australia, by email info@openspectrum.org.au
Bookings are FREE and can be made here

ABC Chief Praises Murdoch, Calls for More Cash

In a controversial speech to the National Press Club, ABC Chief Mark Scott has praised News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch as the last great hope for newspapers and old fashioned journalism.

With a funding agreement coming up before the end of the year, Scott then went on to pitch the claim for more money to help ABC fill this extra 'space'. Central to this bid is a new C-SPAN like Public Affairs Channel and a commitment to its 12 international bureaus.

Should be interesting to see how it all turns out, as this funding agreement could ultimately decide the future of the abc.

You can read an extract of Mark Scott's speech here

U.S. Digital TV Giveaway

One of the biggest stories, unreported by the mainstream press, has been the giveaway of the Digital TV spectrum to the same networks that already control the media.

With Digital TV offering the possibility of hundreds of new channels across standard definition, high definition and datacasting channels, the Black Agenda Report has rightfully labelled the giveaway an "opportunity lost".

The mainstream media has decided to instead cover the rollout of digital technologies. These vested interests are hoping that availability and take up are sufficiently large enough, so their advertising and profitability questions will hopfully work themselves out.

Sadly, however, the media is probably worst at reporting on itself and its own industry, unless what they are reporting will expose their competitors. This is why the real fight for media democracy cannot expect mainstream coverage.

See the Black Agenda Report Article Here

The Real News Alternative?

Below I have included an interview with Paul Jay, founder of therealnews, where he discusses the problems with current journalism practice and his own plans for therealnews on PBS.

Jay is hoping he can kick off a online video service funded purely with viewer contributions that will represent the story from outside a mainstream framework. The hope is that this kind of service can counter the mainstream news that supported the U.S government in its illegal invasion of Iraq and is currently cheerleading for an attack on Iran.

The problems with this model under the current system are numerous. Lack of internet access, lack of media alternative awareness, lack of financial ability. These are just a few of the wider (governmental responsibility) problems that therealnews is going to have to work around and without funding from foundations, corporations or state growth is going to be a hard slog.

View the Video here