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13 Things 2008
Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology
Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World
Brown University
Box 1837 / 60 George Street
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: (401) 863-3188
Fax: (401) 863-9423
[email protected]
Today the Association for Alternative Newsweeklies lays out strict qualifications for official recognition as an alternative publication: alternative weekly newspapers must demonstrate that they produce "high-quality journalism that offers a valuable alternative to the mainstream media in the area." (qtd. from AAN website)
As a result, only 30% of applicants are accepted to the association. The AAN also boasts that its publications, among them the Providence Phoenix, share a "strong focus on local news, culture and the arts; an informal and sometimes profane style; an emphasis on point-of-view reporting and narrative journalism; a tolerance for individual freedoms and social differences; and an eagerness to report on issues and communities that many mainstream media outlets ignore."
Narrative--or literary--journalism is in stark contrast to the traditional journalism characteristic of unbiased, fact-oriented news reporting. In Literary Journalism: A Biographical Dictionary of Writers and Editors author Edd Applegate lays out clearly the fundamental difference between the two: "According to {John} Hollowell, 'The most important difference... is the writer's changed relationship to the people and events he depicts.' In essence, the reporter becomes involved in what he reports; the writing becomes personalized, subjective. By revealing biases, the 'new' journalist strives for a higher kind of 'objectivity.'" (xvi) While the main purpose of traditional journalism is to relay facts objectively, the purpose of literary journalism is first and foremost to tell a story--one which speaks from a clear perspective.
The Phoenix Media/Communications group has its own qualifications for alternative newsweeklies--and modern media in general--which are laid out with pride on the Providence Phoenix website. Not surprisingly, the Phoenix claims to meet all of the expectations it has laid out for itself. Not only does it "reach people who share a similar lifestyle," but it creates "a unique atmosphere for our readers" and maintains a "commitment to new ideas rooted in a solid and broadly cooperative business model." They state boldly that "we think this is the way new media works."
Focus on a "unique atmosphere" for a set group of readers is in stark contrast to the older newspaper model of appealing to the largest possible audience. The process of demassification has broken the large target audience down into many smaller target audiences with specific interests and definable commonalities. The new media allows advertisers to cater to particular audiences, and in doing so insure a certain degree of receptivity to their ads. In the case of the Phoenix, businesses and music venues can advertise directly to the community of readers that already frequent them.