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Volume 72, Issue 53,
Thursday, November 2, 2006
News Alternative programs and publications allow greater access to political information, analysis by CYNTHIA BRUM
Students looking for information about the Nov. 7 elections may turn to traditional news sources like the Houston Chronicle, The New York Times and CNN, but there are also alternative media outlets available that many may not know about. The Internet is a popular medium 18-34 year olds use when seeking news, and while many sources are found only on the Web, the print media post a large portion of their magazines or newspapers online. Some sites charge a fee or require a subscription for premium access; however, much of the information is free. Salon.com is an "Internet media company" that has been around a little more than a decade. The site not only contains political news, but the reader can also find articles on family life, technology and arts and entertainment. Another daily online magazine is Slate.com, which is a "general interest" publication for those who are politically middle-of-the-road. Still, many like the traditional approach of reading the news from magazines and newspapers. In every issue of Rolling Stone there is a national affairs section. The current issue of the magazine contains a report by Matt Taibbi. In "The Worst Congress Ever" Taibbi shares his view of the U.S. Congress. "These past six years were more than just the most shameful, corrupt and incompetent period in the history of the American legislative branch," Taibbi wrote. "These were the years when the U.S. parliament became a historical punch line." Those who prefer a conservative political view can check out National Review, where conservative writers like Edward Morrissey weigh in on the possibility of the Democratic Party taking over Congress. "The irony of Halloween in 2006 is that it comes one week too early," Morrissey said. "The most frightening apparition for this year would be Democratic control of Congress, mostly because the Democrats have made it clear that they do not believe the nation is at war." Mother Jones is a non-profit magazine funded in part by those who purchase subscriptions and make donations. The magazine's founders were products of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements, and in keeping with that tradition, the magazine continually issues scathing reports of the war in Iraq and the Bush Administration's handling of it. The Weekly Standard, founded by William Kristol, one of the strategists involved in the 1994 Republican Contract for America, has been in existence since 1995. Most of the magazine is available online, but a subscription is required for back issues. According to their Web site, the conservative media watchdog group AIM.org -- Accuracy in Media -- has a mission to inform the public of news coverage that has a liberal bias and shed light on stories that have been "botched and bungled." The online liberal counterpart to AIM is FAIR.org -- Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. It has been offering analysis of the media since 1986. FAIR.org publishes the magazine Extra, and also produces the weekly radio program CounterSpin. KPFT, located at 90.1 FM and a part of the Pacifica radio network, broadcasts CounterSpin along with many other alternative radio programs, including Democracy Now!, which is hosted by award-winning journalist Amy Goodman. You can visit KPFT's Web site at www.houston.kpft.org. Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu |
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