Forde (2011) presented the definition of what he called “alternative media” as media that is held by unprofessional or professional journalists which do not relate to mainstream media. The alternative media’s main target is to engage the community and the public into whether the creation of or the interaction with such media platforms where everybody could express his or her voice. Thus it is different from mainstream media in the sense that its aim is to serve the populace rather than earning profit which mainstream media focus on. In addition, it could be worked on with unprofessional media setting and journalists making it a kind of community service oriented rather than large corporates earning revenues and gaining a name.
References:
Forde, S. (2011). Chapter 1: Understanding alternative and ‘independent’ journalism [read excerpts]. In Challenging the News: The Journalism of Alternative and Community Media. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from: https://www.macmillanihe.com/resources/sample-chapters/9780230243569_sample.pdf
Xiaoyue Zhang 