This site officially began in its present form in March of 2003 at the begining of the second phase of the Gulf War. However, the domain was purchased in October 2000 originally for a then prospective commercial media venture. As the site developed I was soon drawn to the huge access potential to information, and from then onwards it naturally evolved into an alternative news information portal.

The project is under constant development and aims to provide quick and easy access to news content which is either missed or overlooked by the big media players. Without a good access to a wide range of media, it's difficult to gain a balanced overview of the forces driving global events. Without such an overview democracy becomes a sideshow which merely rubber stamps decisions taken behind closed doors.

With the ever increasing consolidation and concentration of media ownership, powerful individuals and organizations have developed an overt influence over the global news information networks and their delivery systems, setting news agendas and producing a bias on news and information which also inevitably affects the direction of domestic and international politics.

It would be nice to believe that media organizations have benign intent and seek only to inform rather than manipulate. However, just by searching and reading news on the net for a few minutes, it becomes quite clear that there are set agendas, bias and ethnocentrism running through the global media.

The extent to which these agendas are coordinated and connected is difficult to assess, but clear patterns do emerge. One example would be Murdoch's News Corporation which owns worldwide a swathe of media concerns including around 50 TV stations, four film studios, 26 newspapers, over 30 publishing companies and large holdings in numerous other media companies. If the evidence pointed to Murdoch using his influence for the common good, one might find it difficult to object to such concentrated ownership. Alas, this does not seem to be the case.

For those of you who are newcomers to this kind of news website, the main reason for developing it is to counter the idea that we need to rely on, and trust as authorities, large corporate media. These days increasing numbers of people are questioning the fast food type of news that is disseminated across the world around the clock.

Moreover, this news project, unlike commercial and even some non commercial news media, is not focused on keeping visitors coming back. There are numerous other websites with much better content out there that I link to and use to update and develop the site, and I link to them so that others may benefit from their content.

Websites that are commercially run inevitably try to coax and entice the visitor and they refrain from posting links of other similar websites. News Alternative is a non commercial website and if visitors do return then all well and good, but if they prefer another site that I link to then this website has served a purpose.

Representations of the world can be assembled and understood by the individual using their own powers of discernment and judgement. We need not rely on others to interpret and represent our world for us. When others do this for us, we have only information. When we ouselves edit and choose, we have knowledge. True journalism is an integral part of true democracy and true citizen participation in government.

In most economically developed countries people have morphed and surrendered their citizenship to become consumers who are often indifferent to governemnt, politics, and the well being of those around them in society and beyond. It is not uncommon these days for people protesting against the killing of people to be considered more "extreme" than the people purpetrating and supporting such crimes. When things are like this then clearly something needs to change.

The internet as a news source means that we no longer need to be consumers of pre-packaged news. The emphasis can move towards the individual playing an ever greater role in creating a meaningful and realistic picture of the world. Of course such a major shift in the way we gather and interpret news requires a will and effort on the part of the individual. This website is one small contribution to that shift.

If you have any ideas, links or suggestions, please feel free to contact me using the email address below.

 

• This site is a non-commercial undertaking
• If you would like to help support this news project please tell your friends or add a link to your weblog or website
• The links available do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of News Alternative. All links are there as a resource for the reader only.
• If you would like to spam the website, please kindly use this email address spam@asia-stat.com :)