An A-Z of links to help you get informed and get active…

A

Al-Jazeera

http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage

English-language site for the Qatar-based news service.

AlterNet

http://www.alternet.org

AlterNet.org is a project of the Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit rganization dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent and alternative journalism. AlterNet’s online magazine provides a mix of news, opinion and investigative journalism on subjects ranging from the environment, the drug war, technology and cultural trends to policy debate, sexual politics and health issues. 

The Activist

http://www.theactivist.co.uk

Encouraging active participation in political and economic issues: globalisation, Western economic imperialism, oppression, injustice.

Appeals Worldwide

http://www.appealsww.com

Appeals Worldwide specializes in producing appeals letters based on Amnesty International cases, for you to send to the authorities in the countries concerned. No two letters that we produce are identically worded, and you can further adapt them to your own requirements. Never before has it been so easy to act on behalf of human rights victims.

Antony Loewenstein

http://antonyloewenstein.com

Antony Loewenstein is a Sydney-based freelance journalist, author and blogger. His book on the Israel/Palestine conflict, My Israel Question, is released by Melbourne University Publishing in 2006.

Arab Media Watch

http://www.arabmediawatch.com

AMW was set up to tackle a proliferation of traditional bias, ignorance and misunderstanding in the British media regarding Arab issues. The need to restore a measure of balance to its coverage is as urgent as ever in view of the power of the media to shape and influence public opinion.

B

Black Rhinoceros

http://www.blackrhinoceros.org

The largest directory on the Net of environmental actions in the areas of Biodiversity, Conservation, Energy, Environmental Justice, Habitat and Pollution.

C

Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (UK)

Home

The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom is an independent voice for media reform working to promote policies for a diverse, democratic and accountable media. They campaign for a media which is more accountable to the people it is meant to serve; the breakup of media concentration to promote greater media diversity; rights of citizens to redress for unfair coverage; and rights of journalists to report freely. Membership is made up of individuals who care about the media and democracy, and affiliated organisations. These include national trade unions, local trade union and Labour Party branches as well as media, cultural and educational organisations.

The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (Canada)

http://presscampaign.org

The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom represents a common front of readers and viewers, those working in the media industries, and labour and community groups concerned about the increasing concentration of media ownership in Canada.

Chomsky Info

http://www.chomsky.info

The official archive of articles, speeches and interviews by Noam Chomsky.

ColdType 

http://www.coldtype.net

ColdType publishes e-books, essays, photojournalism and its own 64-page monthly e-magazine, dedicated to ‘Writing Worth Reading From Around The World’. Its many contributors include John Pilger, Chris Hedges, Robert Fisk, Norman Solomon, Ray McGovern, Tom Engelhardt, George Monbiot, Frida Berrigan and many others. The site contains hundreds of high-quality pdf downloads and everything is free.

Common Dreams

http://www.commondreams.org

US-based site for progressive news and analysis.

Corporate Europe Observatory

http://www.corporateeurope.org

CEO is a Amsterdam and Madrid-based research and campaign group targeting the threats to democracy, equity, social justice and the environment posed by the economic and political power of corporations and their lobby groups.

CounterPunch

Home

Muckraking US leftist newsletter edited by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair.

Crisis Forum

http://www.crisis-forum.org.uk/index.html

Crisis Forum believe that humankind is in serious trouble due to an economic and political system which is destroying our ability to sustain our existence on this planet. Aims are: to bring together committed people from diverse college-based, academic disciplines, as well as independent researchers, to analyse the nature of the crisis in a genuinely holistic way; to put that knowledge to positive use so that ordinary people can apply global knowledge to local contexts; to develop this initiative as an independent research-based ‘centre’ through projects, publications and study programmes.

D

Dahr Jamail

We Are the Middle of Forever

In late 2003, weary of the overall failure of the US media to accurately report on the realities of the war in Iraq for the Iraqi people and US soldiers, Dahr Jamail went to the Middle East to report on the war himself. Since then, he has become world renowned for documenting the human cost of the Iraq war. Through his uncompromised reporting and news photos, Dahr reveals a map of Iraq’s misery and resistance, politics and everyday survival in the face of overwhelming military destruction. His website offers a forum where readers discover realities of the war not found in the conventional press. Dahr has also has reported from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. He uses the dahrjamail.net website and his popular mailing list to disseminate his dispatches.

F

FAIR

http://www.fair.org

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, based in the US, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986.

FAS

http://www.fas.org/asmp/index.html

Arms sale monitoring project.

Robert Fisk

Akvariefisk

Website dedicated to articles by Robert Fisk – Middle East correspondent for the Independent newspaper in the UK.

Foreign Policy in Focus

http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org

US journal with many in-depth articles and much analysis of American foreign policy. Working to make the U.S. a more responsible global leader and partner.

G

Glasgow Media Group 

http://www.gla.ac.uk/Acad/Sociology/units/media.htm

The Group consists mostly of people who have worked in the unit at Glasgow University, plus broadcasters and others who have published with them. The purpose of its work is to promote the development of new methodologies and substantive research in the area of media and communications.

Global Issues

http://www.globalissues.org

Progressive analysis of “global issues that affect everyone.”

Global Research

Home

The Centre for Research on Globalisation (CRG) is an independent research and media group of writers, scholars and activists. It is a registered non profit organisation in Quebec, Canada. Their website publishes news articles, commentary, background research and analysis on a broad range of issues, focusing on social, economic, strategic, geopolitical and environmental processes.

Globalvision News Network 

http://www.gvnews.net/html/index.shtml

“News and information from the inside out.”

Green Books

http://www.greenbooks.co.uk

Publishers of books about the environment, ecology, gardening, organics, conservation and green issues. Publishers of ‘The Compassionate Revolution’ and ‘Free To Be Human’ by David Edwards.

Green Left Weekly

http://www.greenleft.org.au

In these days of growing media concentration, Green Left Weekly is a proudly independent voice committed to human and civil rights, global peace and environmental sustainability, democracy and equality. By printing the news and ideas the mainstream media won’t, Green Left Weekly exposes the lies and distortions of the power brokers and helps us to better understand the world around us.

H

Hacktivismo

http://hacktivismo.com

Hacktivismo is a group of international hackers, human rights workers, artists and others who seek to further the goals of human rights through technology.

Hands Off Venezuela!

www.handsoffvenezuela.org

The Hands Off Venezuela Campaign was established in December 2002 to counter lies and misinformation about the country in the local and international media and to campaign against imperialist intervention by the United States.

I

Indymedia UK

http://uk.indymedia.org

Indymedia UK is a network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Information Clearing House

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info

“News you won’t find on CNN or Fox (or the BBC).”

International Human Rights Seminar

https://www.oxfordunivhumanrightsseminar.org.uk

IHRS is based at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford and organised by students and foward-thinking academics and headed by Dr William Pepper, an International Human Rights Lawyer.

Islam Online

http://www.islam-online.net/english/index.shtml

All the information you need about Islam and its civilizations, the universe and its changes, current affairs and their analyses, and general information and services.

J

Justice Not Vengeance

http://www.j-n-v.org

Justice Not Vengeance (JNV) is an anti-war group which has developed out of ARROW (Active Resistance to the Roots of War). JNV opposes the US-UK ‘war on terrorism’, and campaigns for a peaceful resolution of international conflicts, based on justice and equality.” Includes excellent media reviews and other articles by Milan Rai.

M

Media Alliance

Media Alliance At The Pacific Felt Factory

Media Alliance is a 25-year-old nonprofit training and resource center for media workers, community organizations, and political activists. Our mission is excellence, ethics, diversity, and accountability in all aspects of the media in the interests of peace, justice, and social responsibility.

MediaChannel

http://www.mediachannel.org

MediaChannel is a media issues supersite, featuring criticism, breaking news, and investigative reporting from hundreds of organizations worldwide. As the media watch the world, we watch the media.” Includes link to ‘News Dissector’ blog by Danny Schechter. 

MediaLens

Media Lens

MediaLens is a response based on the conviction that mainstream newspapers and broadcasters provide a profoundly distorted picture of our world. MediaLens are convinced that the increasingly centralised, corporate nature of the media means that it acts as a de facto propaganda system for corporate and other establishment interests. The costs incurred as a result of this propaganda, in terms of human suffering and environmental degradation, are incalculable. MediaLens hope that this website will help to turn bystanders into compassionate actors.

Media Studies

http://www.mediastudies.com

The purpose of MediaStudies.com is to help advance research and education in media studies and critical thinking. The site serves as a hub – providing links to educational guidelines, global news outlets and other resources for media educators, students, researchers, and the wider community.

The Middle East Research and Information Project

http://www.merip.org

In the words of French journalist Eric Rouleau, “No person, specializing or not in Middle Eastern affairs, can afford ignoring Middle East Report.” Professor Rashid Khalidi, a leading American scholar, says “Middle East Report is the best periodical (in English) on the Middle East — bar none.”

Morning Star

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk

The only socialist daily newspaper in the English language worldwide.

N

News Alternative

http://www.asia-stat.com

Access to a diverse range of news media from around the world.

The New Standard 

http://newstandardnews.net

The New Standard is a unique, independent hard news website. Dedicated to current events reporting and investigative journalism, TNS provides up-to-date news from a journalistic perspective that emphasizes the public interest. TNS is a reader-funded publication — that is what makes it truly independent. Because it receives no funding from government, corporate or foundation sources, TNS remains free from outside pressures and accountable to its readership.

Non-Violence Help

http://nonviolencehelp.tripod.com/index.html

This site draws together some of the available on-line resources on the history, theory and practice of nonviolence. It is both an introduction to nonviolent social change and a resource for trainers and activists.

O

Open Democracy

http://www.opendemocracy.net

An independent, not-for-profit magazine dedicated to free dialogue across the globe about the major issues in the world today.

P

People and Planet

http://www.peopleandplanet.org

UK student action on world poverty, human rights and the environment.

Private Planet

http://www.private-planet.com

Excerpts from David Cromwell’s book Private Planet: Corporate Plunder and the Fight Back (Jon Carpenter, Charlbury, 2001).

PR Watch

http://www.prwatch.org

Investigative reporting on the Public Relations industry

R

Relief Web

http://www.reliefweb.int

ReliefWeb is the world’s leading on-line gateway to information (documents and maps) on humanitarian emergencies and disasters. An independent vehicle of information, designed specifically to assist the international humanitarian community in effective delivery of emergency assistance, it provides timely, reliable and relevant information as events unfold, while emphasizing the coverage of ‘forgotten emergencies’ at the same time.ReliefWeb was launched in October 1996 and is administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Jeff Rense

http://www.rense.com

Web site of the Jeff Rense Program – the US radio show

Resist

http://www.resist.com.au

Resist is a not for profit entity whose aim is to help facilitate some form of non-violent resistance to the growing neo-conservative empire.

Andy Rowell

http://www.andyrowell.com

Articles by campaigning journalist Andy Rowell, author of Green Backlash, who has had many stories published in newspapers and magazine across the world.

S

Schnews

SCH News School, College, Law University News Education And Law Changes

The weekly newsletter from Justice? – Brighton’s Direct Action collective

Scientists for Global Responsibility

http://www.sgr.org.uk

SGR promotes the ethical practice and use of science and technology. We develop and support initiatives which make science more open, accountable and democratic. Our work involves research, education, lobbying and providing a support network for ethically-concerned scientists. Links to Science and Ethics related web sites and organizations.

Spinwatch

http://www.spinwatch.org

SpinWatch exists to provide public interest research and reporting on corporate and government public relations and propaganda. Spin techniques are much more extensive than is generally realised, encompassing media management, lobbying, corporate social responsibility, investor relations and corporate dirty tricks and spying. We aim to foster greater public and political awareness of spin and to campaign against the manipulations of the PR industry in the public interest.

Squall

http://www.squall.co.uk

Squall Magazine Online is a forum for radical quality journalism and photography. It presents accessible and factually reliable investigations into issues which the mainstream media dare not touch.

Sydney Peace Foundation

Home

The is a not-for-profit organisation within the University of Sydney. It aims to raise the agenda of peace with justice in the Australian community.

T

Take Back The Media

http://www.takebackthemedia.com

“The US media has abandoned their responsibility to the country. The view that gets advanced is no longer the view of the ‘little guy’ – it’s the view of ownership, of top management, of major corporations. Editorial decisions are made with one eye on the political slant that will best benefit the company, and one eye on the bottom line. The corporate view is tainted, in that it looks for the best way to advance the corporation’s financial interests. The result is this – instead of behaving as the Watchdog of Democracy, the media has become the Lapdog of government.”

U

Union of Concerned Scientists

http://www.ucsusa.org

Citizens and scientists for environmental solutions.

UN Observer

Home

An independent journal of international affairs.

V

The Voice

http://www.voice-online.net/content.php

“Britain’s best black paper” – coverage of a wide range of stories from a black perspective.

Voices in the Wilderness (UK) 

http://www.voicesuk.org

Voices in the Wilderness has been campaigning – both here and in the US – against US/UK policy towards Iraq since the mid-nineties. First, against the economic sanctions and US/UK military strikes on Iraq and, more recently, against the invasion of Iraq.

W

War In Context

http://warincontext.org

Alternative perspectives on the ‘War on Terrorism’ and the Middle East conflict.

The White House

http://www.whitehouse.org

“One of the best satirical web sites on the planet.”

WikiLeaks

http://wikileaks.org

WikiLeaks is a non-profit media organization dedicated to bringing important news and information to the public. It published material of ethical, political and historical significance while keeping the identity of its sources anonymous, thus providing a universal way for the revealing of suppressed and censored injustices.

World Socialist Web Site

http://www.wsws.org

The World Socialist Web Site is the Internet center of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). It provides analysis of major world events, comments on political, cultural, historical and philosophical issues, and valuable documents and studies from the heritage of the socialist movement.

Brian S. Wilson

http://www.brianwillson.com

Writings by peace activist Brian S. Willson, a former United States Air Force officer who served in Vietnam.

Z

Zmag

http://www.zmag.org

Z Magazine’s web site: an independent political magazine of critical thinking on political, cultural, social, and economic life in the United States and around the globe.