Atton Chris - Alternative Journalism

Journalism Studies: Key Texts is a new textbook series that systematically maps the crucial connections between theory and practice in journalism. It provides the solid grounding students need in the history, theory, real-life practice and future directions of journalism, while further engaging them in key critical debates. Drawing directly from how journalism is studied and understood today, the series is a full-service resource for students and lecturers alike.

Series Editors: Martin Conboy, David Finkelstein, Bob Franklin

Radio Journalism Guy Starkey and Andrew Crissell

Journalism Studies:

Key Texts

CHRIS ATTON AND JAMES F. HAMILTON

Chris Atton and James F. Hamilton 2008

First published 2008

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For Sue (Chris)

For Cynthia (James)

Portions of are developed from parts of Attons Alternative Media (Sage, 2002) and his article Current Issues in Alternative Media Research (Sociology Compass 1, 2008).

We would like to thank the editors of this series for commissioning a book that would have been unlikely to find a publisher even a few years ago. This is due, of course, to the work of our many colleagues in alternative media studies across the world, who have done so much to develop this subject into many university curricula and to argue its importance as part of wider studies in sociology, political communication and cultural and media studies. Our personal editor, David Finkelstein, offered unfailing encouragement and valuable criticism throughout the writing. Rachel Hendrick at Sage clarified much and supported us even more. Finally, we recognize the extraordinary creative energy of countless journalist-activists throughout the world who provide not simply the grist for this book, but more generally the hope and promise for journalism(s) that contribute to a more democratic public life.

What is alternative journalism? For those encountering the term for the first time and even for those familiar with it it can appear infuriatingly vague. How does it relate to an array of similar terms such as citizen journalism, citizens media, community media, democratic media, emancipatory media, radical media and social movement media? When we turn to specific practices, there is an even wider range to consider: newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations; blogs and social networking sites; pamphlets and posters; fanzines and zines; graffiti and street theatre; independent book publishing and even independent record production. These practices are often informed by the desire to provide news, information, comment and analysis to specific, identified communities defined in geographic or socio-cultural terms (such as ethnic minority journalism, gay/lesbian journalism, or community media).

In what is the first academic book-length study of alternative journalism, we argue that what all these concepts and practices share is an emphasis on thinking about journalism in a particular way: in other words, they are primarily informed by a critique of existing ways (the dominant practices) of doing journalism. Alternative journalism proceeds from dissatisfaction not only with the mainstream coverage of certain issues and topics, but also with the epistemology of news. Its critique emphasizes alternatives to, inter alia, conventions of news sources and representation; the inverted pyramid of news texts; the hierarchical and capitalized economy of commercial journalism; the professional, elite basis of journalism as a practice; the professional norm of objectivity; and the subordinate role of audience as receiver.

Alternative journalism, at least in its ideal form, is produced outside mainstream media institutions and networks. It can include the media of protest groups, dissidents, fringe political organisations, even fans and hobbyists (Atton, 2004: 3). It tends to be produced not by professionals, but by amateurs who typically have little or no training or professional qualifications as journalists: they write and report from their position as citizens, as members of communities, as activists or as fans. (Though as we shall see, there are examples of alternative journalism where professional journalists and professional techniques are employed, often in ways radically different from their conventional uses.) Much of the work of alternative journalism is concerned with representing the interests, views and needs of under-represented groups in society. As well as being homes for radical content, projects of alternative journalism also tend to be organized in non-mainstream ways, often non-hierarchically or collectively, and almost always on a non-commercial basis. They hope to be independent of the market and immune to institutionalization. Practitioners of alternative journalism also seek to redress what they consider an imbalance of media power in mainstream media, which results in the marginalization (at worst, the demonization) of certain social and cultural groups and movements.

It is this emphasis on media power that we argue lies at the heart of alternative journalism. It is for this reason that, despite all the cognate terms used to refer to its practices, we prefer to call it alternative journalism. This is because, as Nick Couldry and James Curran have argued, it functions as a comparative term to indicate that whether indirectly or directly, media power is what is at stake (Couldry and Curran, 2003b: 7). We develop this argument in detail in , where we explore a range of theories that have been put forward to make sense of alternative media production. These include John Downings theory of radical media (Downing, 1984; Downing et al., 2001); Clemencia Rodriguezs citizens media (Rodriguez, 2001) and Hackett and Carrolls (2006) notion of democratic media activism. These studies are undoubtedly extremely useful: they offer valuable insights into the ideologies and practices of non-mainstream media. However, they share a common assumption that alternative media are primarily concerned with radical politics and social empowerment, with what Pippa Norris has called critical citizens (Norris, 1999). Once again we find ourselves in agreement with Couldry and Curran; just as they do in their own work, we wish to explore non-mainstream media that may or may not be politically radical or socially empowering (Couldry and Curran, 2003b: 7).