What do you expect out of your favourite alternative media news site?

So this is a very simple tread, I am interested to know what people expect from the alternative media websites they use?

Why do want to know this? also simple, we have many disagreements but also many agreements on this site, many people working together and working against each other, I'm interested to see if there is a pattern in terms of what you look for and the way you act or react on these sites.

What I am also interested in actual news sites, what I mean by this is that I see ATS as a super forum, a fantastic way for users to share and discuss news, however it does not directly post its own news posts, an example of a site that does may be Infowars.com which you may be aware has an extremely mixed bag of views in terms of people believing and liking the site, to people out right hating it and seeing it as nothing more than a money making site.

Again I am interested to see if what people look for dictates there views both of the site and views expressed on the site.

So here is what i look for:

- A varied range of users (from debunkers, to the straight up tin foil hat wearers) i feel all at times add there own value.

- A easy to use layout (to which i clap at ATS one of the best i have used)

- Follow up (do they post a story and just leave it or do they follow up saying this was proved/disproved.)

- Evidence (On ATS this is down to the user and a lot of the time there is a lot on this site, however take infowars for example, often a story will be written with views and opinion but based on little to no fact)

- Ethics (I believe that you should follow the rules you expect by others, for example don't moan about the MSM for making stuff up but then do the same.)

No doubt I will think of more and add to this as I use more and more sites. I would like to see this tread almost turn into an idiots guide to the alternative media and what makes it great, because the alternative media is great!

Thanks for your feedback in advance

reply to post by TheOdogg


Truth!?!?!?!?

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13


Yes this is a very good point truth!, but I mean truth when I say Evidence and Ethics, it is the most important thing of all though I agree!

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And the truth.

i loved the little comparison between ats and infowars under "evidence".

perhaps its the lack of constant undeliverable demands for 'proof',that explain the difference in ratings.

reply to post by RelentlessLurker


Don't get me wrong I think Infowars serves a purpose, for example you could say that Alex Jones/infowars "woke me up/opened my eyes" if you like, which then allowed me to start looking round finding sites that suited my needs more like this, that said I believe you go on a small journey when you "wake up", for example I no longer have the same belief in the whole NWO thing now days... at first it drove me to read more, now I think I just see the connections with industry and government which I may not like at all but I understand.

So I think all sites have uses, maybe they form stepping stones leading the user to the more truthful site in the long run.

reply to post by TheOdogg


i agree.

i was trying to point out the subtle difference in format.

infowars leaves less room for discussion, which leaves it less vulnerable to trolling and 'cognitive infiltration'. less static, more unity.

its content caters to a particular userbase, allowing it to grow unhinderd.

ats thrives on conflicting ideas, and arguments. this allows them to profit regardless of content as they arent catering to any particular side. while this may give the site a potentially larger userbase, it also has the inevitable probability of conflict driving some users away, thus preventing any real growth.

with a format like that ats can never really be anything more than a news portal.

the success of ats live and the various video sagas remains to be seen...

reply to post by RelentlessLurker


Thanks for this reply, this sort of thing is exactly what I am looking for, peoples views on how these sites work, how they appeal and what people like about them.