The Importance of Alternative Media.

The term alternative media can aid in understanding an opposing viewpoint held to that of the mainstream media; however, the definition of alternative media is in itself a complex and elusive concept. Waltz (2005, Pg. 2) defines alternative media as “media that are alternative to or in opposition to something else…” whereas Forde (2011, Pg.45) proposes alternative media as “whereby the media gives a voice to the voiceless…” enabling a challenge to the mainstream and resistance to the control placed over the public sphere. A decisive question that comes from the prior mentioned definitions, is whether the term alternative is only about posing as a substitute to mainstream media or whether it is actually representative of a broader media genre (Sandoval & Fuchs, 2009). This essay will attempt to argue the importance of alternative media in relation to the mainstream by outlining the key stages of Noam Chomsky’s Media Propaganda Model, with a specific focus on the work of director John Waters, to explain as to how it helps societies definition of the alternative alongside its necessity in relation to mainstream media.

 

Mainstream media has been a common source used to propagate ideas and easily influence the masses. The content created primarily promotes a capitalist viewpoint from elitist society and attempts to monetize from the public sphere (Habermas, 1989), this can link with Chomsky’s first filter of mass media theory, media ownership. Mass media firms and companies have a singular motivation of profiting from the programming created, meaning critical journalism is usually subordinate to the needs and interests of business conglomerates. This is a primary difference from alternative media, where content is more abstract or attempts to propose ideas which question or challenge the dominant viewpoint. Alternative media is usually independently owned and manufactured, creating more niche or cult audiences, these include films such as Pink Flamingos (Waters, 1972), Female Trouble (Waters, 1974) and Hairspray (Waters, 1988) which were viewed as transgressive in their approach, due to involving content which was more radicalised and experimental than its mainstream counterparts. The countercultural and progressive nature of alternative media aims to formulate a way of challenging western dominant ideologies, which are typically featured in programming manufactured by major conglomerates. Thus, supporting the prior point of profiting from the media, as a substantial number of alternative creators attempt to compose meaningful material regardless of its economic benefit; something which is generally avoided by the mainstream media due to Chomsky’s second filter, advertising money.

 

The media costs more than consumers will ever pay, the mainstream media get around this by buying from advertisers and using them to endorse consumerable goods to the audience. This leads into the consumerist society manufactured by the media, as advertisers pay for audiences and thus support the hegemonic beliefs of corporate capitals. This allows the elite to establish media which profits from audience engagement, Herman and Chomsky (2010, pg.15) proposed “the power of advertisers over television programming stems from the simple fact that they buy and pay for programs, they are the patrons who provide the media subsidy…” greatly affecting the welfare of the mainstream media as pressures are placed upon audience engagement and the link to revenue, as stakes in audience size impact upon the creation of mainstream media. Product placement enables the mainstream media to do this seamlessly, as the audience become unknowing to the marketing strategies that corporate businesses put in place, Kretchmer (2008, Pg. 38) stated “advertising has had a powerful impact on the psyche and cultural milieu. While some contend that advertising has created the consumer mentality, others assert that, to be successful in appealing to a mass audience, advertising must simply mirror the society of the time. Whatever the cause and effect relationship may be, it is indisputable that there is an interplay of influence between advertising and culture…” establishing how consumerism has become entrenched within mainstream media and therefore impacted upon society and our cultural identities, allowing consumerist society to grow further due to the impact of capitalist propaganda. This is opposed by the ways in which alternative media are manufactured, in which innovative media attempts to propagate ideologies which differ from the advertising elite. In this sense, alternative media can become critical of those deemed as the media elite, Fuchs (2010, pg.178) suggests “alternative media are mass media that challenge the dominant capitalist forms of media production, media structures, content, distribution and reception… the central aspects are journalists and their practices, recipients and their practices…” establishing that alternate forms of production are used to oppose the dominant and impending viewpoints of those in a position of power both politically and commercially, meaning alternative media’s role can be to propose viewpoints which align outside of the mainstream media’s boundaries. John Waters successfully does this through his use of alternative expression, working alongside queer artists such as Divine to subvert mainstream ideology and propose more experimental ways of thinking, exemplified in Waters sexualised and obscene filming style. This can be linked to the concept of detournement as Waters attempts to change how society views the spectacle, Debord (1968, pg.42) proposes “The spectacle is not a collection of images; rather, it is a social relationship between people that is mediated by images…” explaining how mainstream media propagates essentialist ideas to mass audiences through the manufacturing of imagery. This can be challenged by the subcultural nature of films like Pink Flamingos (Waters, 1972) and Female Troubles (Waters, 1974) which attempt to oppose the atypical ideas placed upon the masses by elitist society.

 

The prior mentioned points create Chomsky’s filter known as flack, those which attempt to suggest beliefs or manufacture material which does not align with the common ideologies of those in control are phased out. This establishes the issue surrounding countercultural journalism as the very social system created by the mainstream encourages complicity to be successful, as challenging power or infringing the dominant ideology pushes individuals to the margins of society. This can aid in our understanding of the alternative as the initial concept of breaking the boundaries opposes to the need for flack, as alternative media creators are not necessarily manufacturing societal consent. Thus proposing the idea that alternative media targets towards a unique or niche audience, Couldry (2003, pg.45) proposes “the emancipatory and progressive potential of alternative media lies in opening up access to media production to a broad public. This would allow challenging the mass media’s power of naming by confronting the reality constructed by capitalist mass media with other versions of social reality…” thus reinforcing the concept of alternative media as a juxtaposition of the mainstream and specifically the capitalist society manufactured by media conglomerates. Chomsky viewed flack as a form of discrediting sources and diverting conversation towards differing subjects to distract societies attention to these issues. John Waters’ established this concept by creating films which observed natures different to the mainstream ideal, his subversive nature opposed that of commercially appealing films and manufactured methods which opposed the socially acceptable and traditional methods that predated the countercultural era of cinema. The concept that alternative media is more community based can discredit the need for flack, messages proposed from alternative texts do not aim to be commercially successful and therefore are not concerned by impressing a mass audience, Howley (2009, Pg. 16) proposed “community media is not simply a matter of opening up channels of communications to nonprofessional media makers. Rather community media’s d’etre is to facilitate two-way communication within the local community…” which in doing so contends the possibility for alternative media producers to enter into public discourse and thereby support popular participation on numerous levels and promote a greater sense of self-expression and personal development over commercial success. John Waters accomplished this through his own ideas and creative outlet, using actors who were seen as on the fringes of society and promoting queer and alternative cultures distant to those of the late nineties-eighties, with performers such as Divine who openly challenged the heteronormative ideology held by mainstream culture of the nineteen-eighties.

 

To manufacture consent, Chomsky theorised that the mainstream media creates a common enemy or target for mass media propaganda. The common enemy is usually a moral panic or social issue which aids in the corral of public beliefs, thus allowing capitalist society to garner further control over mass opinion. Issues such as communism, terrorism and immigration are easily targeted by the mainstream as historically they are opposed by western society and the folk devils for each individual issue are obvious, allowing othering to be manufactured in society. The demonisation of common topics including race, religion and sexuality can be seen throughout history, the HIV pandemic of the early 1980’s easily allowed mainstream media to manufacture a common societal enemy in gay men, as the mainstream media easily propagated ideologies which changed the audience’s beliefs around homosexuality (British Home Office, 1987). The mainstream news media’s exaggerating and distorting of reality around the prior mentioned social issue enabled them to manufacture consent through their use of melodramatic vocabulary and sensationalized headlines (Cohen, 2011). These ideologies then begin to conform to singular beliefs normally held by the governmental power, thus creating a homogenised viewpoint. This is opposed by several alternative media platforms which support a more open belief and attempt to argue against the stereotypical or hegemonic beliefs of mainstream programming, Atton (2001, pg.8) states “the range, number and diversity of alternative media in all their forms and perspectives suggest the theory of liberal pluralism pushed to its limits. A model of the media, where people using small-scale media need not to be the product of idealism or entail to overthrow of large-scale media; we may find a space in which small scale media already prevail…” establishing that alternative media is primarily about creativity over national appeal, the creators of such media strive towards artistic expression or personal development over appealing to a mass audience. John Waters opposed the hegemonic beliefs of society by employing queer expression and breaking boundaries placed around cinema of the era, this can be applied to the concepts shown within Hairspray (Waters, 1988) as the narrative implements theories of racial segregation and attempts to highlight the modern issues faced by society through the representation of such social challenges in 1960’s America. The primary concepts within the show establish an obvious link to flack as the mainstream media continues to ignore racial segregation within modern times; however, the deeper social issues including interracial romance and religious hegemony attempt to establish topics of conversation which were not previously seen by mainstream society of the time.

 

The media propaganda model (Herman & Chomsky, 1988) allows media practitioners to further understand alternative media through its primary opposition to the values and beliefs held within the model itself. The concept of alternative media, however, is still individual in its definition and there is no singular idea or basis of what makes a piece of work alternative. It is because of this that alternative media is difficult to truly underpin and is manufactured in multiple expressions and formats, Bailey, Cammaert and Carpentier (2008, pg.149) suggest “these interactions and dynamic dialectics between what is deemed to be mainstream and what is perceived to be alternative create a multiplicity and variety of alternative media that needs to be appreciated…” supporting the concept that alternative media acts as a form which is not in fact opposing to that of the mainstream, but in actuality creates medium which can be appreciated on a separate or broader scale than that of its counterpart. Overall, the relationship between alternative and mainstream media is vital in developing modern media and culture, the foundation of the alternative establishes a way for countercultural and niche formats to be created and thus challenges the concept of singular ideologies proposed by mainstream society, whilst still allowing an alternate sphere to be created for independent and artistic purposes.

 

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