With the abundance of news outlets at our disposable today it is sometimes difficult to decipher what is legitimate news and what is an advertisement disguised as an article that a promoter wants you to believe. There are pros and cons to both mainstream and alternative media. Mainstream media has the resources to give almost real time updates to breaking stories as well as the reach to be able to provide news to more desolate areas. At the same time the content may be controlled by whomever is funding the project; details may be omitted and embellishments may be added to better suit the needs of the controlling institute. On the other hand, alternative media is usually a way for people to get what they consider important and relevant news out to the public. These sources have less restrictions and requirements then traditional media but at the same time they have less capital to work with. Publishes such as zines may have pertinent ideas but the sometimes rough and unsophisticated look may cause them to be overlooked by many mainstream readers. It is important for a consumer of media to research both sources in order to in take what is available and decide what they believe to be true, accurate, and relevant.
Jessica Bilikiewicz
