Here's a question you can ask CNN:

If the likes of IndyMedia, Undercurrents and others can operate a global news coverage service without advertising sponsorship, shouldn't CNN do the same ? Surely it would make their journalism more credible if it was not being bankrolled by parties who have an interest in the news being given a certain spin (ie. advertisers) ?

 http://www.cnn.com/ads/advertiser/cnnfn/0107/234FidelityBanner.gif is one example...

...for research purposes, here is a link to a comprehensive list of CNN's online sponsors:

 http://www.cnn.com/ads/advertiser/

The idea that undercurrents and indymedia can go on without funding is not really true tho' is it?

Undercurrents stopped producing our news video coz we ran out of cash to support it. Alt media needs full time people and we cant last very long without earning cash from soemwhere. Look at indymedias front page..it hasn't been updated for over a week.

While advertising is a no no, we need an alternative as does indymedia.

But a co-operative is a YES YES, surely?

Getting it together would be the biggest hurdle but I bet you there'd be loads of people willing to fork out a small monthly donation to finance guys like you, Paul - in return for more feedback, more continuity, more front page!

So most of us here have little or no income but even we can scrape up the dosh for something really important to furthering the Global Justice Movement.

Can't we?

I partly agree with you, but what I think Indymedia and others need is to make easy for other people to collaborate either on a regular basis for a one-off. I'm sure many people would be happy to give some time if a clear/fast way of collaborating is in place.
The homepage may have not been updated in a week but people are sending material all the time thanks to the excellent publishing tool on the site.
Could something similar be implemented for people to collaborate on other projects?

a couple of general points (didn't see the CNN stuff)

why do mainstream media allow the reporters/news editors who cover anti-globalisation protests to have such a low level of political knowledge? they routinely portray anarchism as some kind of nihilist philosophy. yet anyone who has ever opened a political paper/book on politics should know that has always been a part of the socialist movement. despite this even now on the BBC website I can read an article supposedly about what anarchists believe without the word socialism even being mentioned, if only to put the modern movement in some historical context.

why does the langauge used by journalists change when describing different types of protests? why are there no "ringleaders" or "masterminds" when the Countryside Alliance march, but they come out in force when it is an anti-globalisation protest.

Why does CNN need advertising?

It needs advertising to make money. They charge the advertisers lots of money to put the adverts on TV. The advertisers get this money from the companies who make the products being advertised. The advertisers keep some of their fees to pay themselves and their shareholders.

We pay for CNN by watching the adverts and then going out and buying the products. When we buy the products, some of the money we pay goes to the advertisers and some of this goes to CNN and that's how we pay for CNN.

If we don't really need the products that the advertisers are brainwashing us into buying then we could pay for our news directly. The money would go to the journalists and technical staff and admin staff to pay their wages.

What we need is to set up an organisation that will do this, and find enough initial subscribers to get it started. The organisation needs a legally binding constitution that makes it non profit making etc.

There we go, that's what we need, now let's do it.

 http://asia.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/07/22/genoa.raid.0439/index.html

Watch the CNN video of genoa ,above is the url to the reason why specialist informed reporters are needed. CNN reporter ranting that the people throwing rocks are not protesters and havent got any anti G8 banners.

Check the CNN video out online. It shows how badly CNN covered Genoa. Perfect example of how media concentrate on violence only and portray the violent lot as just out to fight with cops and are not part of the protest.


Undercurrents is produceing a doco looking at Corporate Media and alt media. How can they and we change to suit the needs of a globalisation movement are the questions we are asking. All input appreciated!

I know it's not genoa but you can easily work it in - was thinking it'd be worth making the point about the huge number of bbc journos who were out on the streets for mayday this year in london with the specific brief of looking for violence - this represented a pretty fucked pre defined agenda for reporting.