“Where can I find some alternative sources of news? I have the feeling that the commercial media isn’t telling me the whole story. And it isn’t just FOX News.”This was one of the most common reactions to the series of documentary films the Center for Global Justice showed at the Biblioteca Publica. Snowbirds and expats alike are deeply concerned about issues of globalization, the war and the sharp rightward turn in American politics and social policies. And the mass media, under increasingly concentrated ownership by large corporations, isn’t helping the public critically understand what’s going on.
Fortunately, there is an alternative media available, on radio, on television, in print, and especially on the internet. And more and more people are looking to it for information and different points of view.
Our favorite is Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now!”, an hour long daily news program. It is broadcast over Pacifica Radio http://www.pacifica.org and an increasing number of NPR radio stations. You can get it on KPFA in Berkeley, WBAI in New York, WPFW in Washington, KPFT in Houston, and KPFK in Los Angeles. But since your FM receiver is not likely to pick up any of these, just go to any of those station’s websites and listen to it online. Or better yet, go to http://www.DemocracyNow.org where you can listen to or even watch the program any time of day or night. In the States you can even get it on satellite TV over the Dish Network on Free Speech TV, channel 9415. But we’re told Mexican authorities don’t allow it to be carried on the Dish Network here. So the internet is your best bet here in San Miguel.
Actually, there is a wealth of information available via the internet. Visit Z Magazine’s website at http://www.zcommunications.org/znet where you will find dozens of articles posted every day analyzing a large range of issues. A similar treasure of op-ed pieces is found at http://www.CommonDreams.org, http://www.alternet.org, http://www.Truthout.org, http://www.truthdig.com. Common Dreams also carries extensive links to much of the alternative media on their website. There is also http://www.counterpunch.org and http://www.huffingtonpost.com. There is excellent coverage of social movements to be found on http://indymedia.org, a network with foci in many cities worldwide. You can also find many substantive articles at http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine .
For those who can read Spanish, you can’t beat the daily newspaper La Jornada. It is also available online at http://www.jornada.unam.mx It will give you information and perspectives not only on world news but also on what’s going on here in Mexico.
There are many, many print journals with alternative points of view and most of them have websites too. We all have our favorites, like The Nation, In These Times, Monthly Review, Mother Jones. You can find them online by typing their name followed by .org or .com or by doing a Google search. Their websites will usually carry most of the articles they print, although the current issue may not be available online. For the serious news junkie, all the alternative journals are indexed by subject in the Alternative Press Index. You can visit them at http://www.altpress.org
And don’t overlook the think tanks. There you will find substantive, well researched, thoughtful articles. Some of our favorites are the Economic Policy Institute at http://www.epi.org, the Institute for Policy Studies at http://www.ips-dc.org and Foreign Policy in Focus at http://www.fpif.org. And don’t forget to check out our website at http://www.GlobalJusticeCenter.org where you will find many thoughtful articles. We also have links to many progressive web sites.
For those who want a lighter take on the news, Comedy Central TV broadcasts back-to-back several times a day “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” Hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert lampoon many of the day’s news makers, exposing contradictions and absurdities. Comedy can be a very effective way of revealing the truth. Perhaps that is why these program are the most popular source of news for the younger generation. As Stewart is fond of saying, his program is “the most trusted name in fake news.”
Although there is much about globalization to be critical of, we can be thankful that its technology makes it easier for us all to be better informed citizens of the world.If you have a favorite website, send it to us at admin@GlobalJusticeCenter.org or call us at 150-0025.