Mainstream/Alternative

The chapter on the dichotomy between mainstream and alternative starts with discussing the genealogy and history of the alternative French newspaper Libération , which over time evolved from an experiment in basic democracy and co-ownership into a mainstream media outlet and a commercial asset. The history of the emergence of mass media is also a history of how capitalism impacted on media and the impact of this on the kind of content that mainstream media produces. Furthermore, the combination of the power that comes with that and the need for considerable capital investment to produce and distribute mass media meant that mainstream media became intrinsically enmeshed with broader societal power structures. This is contrasted with the notion and practices of non-mainstream alternative media, which are horizontally structured, producing niche or counter-hegemonic content, and adhering to basic democratic principles. Technological changes in the context of media and communication also constitute a mediation opportunity structure affording new ways of producing and distributing alternative content. The internet does not just complicate the relational dichotomy between mainstream and alternative, it also exposes how these categories are inherently instable. The convergent technology that is the internet harbours both mainstream and alternative voices, channels, and views, but the idea of truly autonomous media has become a near impossibility online.