Many people today say they trust alternative media as news sources more than they trust the traditional, legacy press. But what do people mean by “alternative media” and why do they perceive them as being more credible than mainstream news organizations?
Jennifer Rauch, visiting professor of journalism and media studies at Linfield University, explores the answers to these questions in “Partisan Perceptions of Why Mainstream Journalism is Unreliable and Why ‘Alternative Media’ Are Better” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20 on the Linfield University YouTube channel.
This lecture gives an overview of Rauch’s 15-year research project examining how political activists and other engaged audiences critically evaluate their news environments, from her book “Resisting the News” (Routledge, 2021).
The presentation shares the unique voices of alternative-media fans and paints a layered portrait of liberal and conservative critiques of journalism. Through a variety of data-collection methods, including focus groups, media-use diaries and surveys, Rauch’s work offers a distinctive view of the problems of journalism today—and how to fix them.
Rauch has been a visiting professor at Linfield since 2020, teaching news writing and journalism practices. Her research on alternative media, news audiences, ritual communication and zines has been widely published. Her first book, “Slow Media: Why Slow is Satisfying, Sustainable and Smart” (Oxford University Press) was honored with a Silver Nautilus Book Award. She earned her Ph.D. in mass communication from Indiana University Bloomington, a master’s degree in journalism from Temple University and a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication and French from Pennsylvania State University.
The presentation is part of Linfield’s Faculty Lecture Series, which shares the professional work and interests of the university faculty with the university and local communities. More information on the series, including the full schedule, is available. The series is sponsored by Linfield’s Office of Academic Affairs. For additional information, contact 503-883-2224.
