We Need A Media Lollapalooza

[mattclearing]

I posted this in GD, but I figured I would spread it around a bit...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3019600

[marions ghost]

1. I like your idea for

Indy-alt media advocacy group, and conference for all the alt news media...

The problem for the average consumer of news, unlike us news junkies, is they DO need it in manageable "bites" --there needs to be an internet news source that can distill the news for the progressive-leaning masses. Needs a presentation that makes it interesting, compelling, even entertaining (not quite to Jon Stewart's extreme, but not too dry...). A lot of people do not have time or energy to search the internet, and they need a consumer- friendly progressive internet news outlet they can actually trust.
There is OPPORTUNITY for anyone who can pull this off IMO. If there's a group already doing this, I havent seen it. It would make sense if it could be connected to or run by a consortium of net media groups/blogs already in existence. A daily compilation broken down into easy consumer chunks.

[mattclearing]

2. It would certainly lend an air of legitimacy.

Right now alt-media is considered to be people in their underwear sitting at their computers.

It would help to have a professional gathering for airing of views and a look at the state of the alt-media landscape.

[marions ghost]

3. not even worried so much about air of legitmacy problem...

...just make it what it needs to be and they will come.

Biggest issue is just distilling masses of info down to headlines and short clips with pix that takes 30 minutes daily to digest--making it upbeat and lively, without trivializing. I think it can be done. I've seen various attempts at this--but what I'm talking about would be liberal-inclusive, instead of this fake "balance" we have now, from sources that are so pathetically afraid of liberal perspectives that they leave out whole vast areas of very legitimate news. Just simply provide an alternative perspective on the news in an easy format, not too ponderous. We shouldn't buy the attempted marginalization of people who get their news on the net--I think that's a bunch of ....spin. There are other factors in people's choices at this point, not the least of which is Time and Energy. Some people will not root through 5 or 6 blogs/websites and need it re-packaged--one stop news (with links if they want to go further). I'm just talking from what I think is a typical consumer's point of view. (It's not what I need--I love all the complexity and perspectives you get on the net). But others need to have it spoon-fed, not becasue they're dumb, but out of convenience.