There has never been such a pronounced sense of contempt shown by a section of society towards the “mass media”.
Accused of bowing down to the interests of the political and economic sphere, our public information services have never been so roundly suspected of compromising their mission of providing high quality, reliable information.
However, new alternatives are springing up throughout Europe. Far removed from the world of the mass media, young activists are working to provide their own high quality information via new and innovative online platforms.
These young publications, such as Are We Europe and StreetPress – and its sister service StreetVox –, are politically engaged and, at times, even militant. Most importantly, they are giving a voice to a new generation of citizens.
Other initiatives have produced unprecedented structures, such as The Conversation, based on the open source contributions of researchers.
Serving as the first line of defence against mainstream propaganda, new voices are now making themselves heard, in particular by standing up against fake news in countries where press freedoms suddenly find themselves at risk.
From political engagement to a desire to escape short-termist editorial dictatorships, the future of the alternative press is being defined in front of our very eyes.