The edited volume, Alternative Media in European Contexts: Theoretical Cornerstones, Methodological Challenges, and Systemic Conditions, examines how the study of alternative media has developed into an increasingly diverse and established field of research. Bringing together theoretical, methodological, and systemic perspectives, the book argues that alternative media studies are now entering a third stage.
Over the past 15 years, alternative media have attracted growing scholarly attention. Digital platforms have made it easier for new actors to establish themselves as news providers. At the same time, growing political polarisation and the rise of populist movements have seen political actors increasingly turn to news-like forms of communication to set agendas and build communities.
Edited by Eva Mayerhöffer, Tine Ustad Figenschou, Karoline Andrea Ihlebæk, and Miriam Kroman Brems, Alternative Media in European Contexts looks at how the field has developed – and where it might be heading.
The editors describe this development in three stages. Early research focused mainly on grassroots and community media, often with a progressive outlook. In the second stage, beginning around 2016, attention shifted towards digital-born alternative news outlets, often with a right-leaning profile, and issues such as polarisation, misinformation, and distrust.
Today, the editors argue, the field is entering a third stage, characterised by greater theoretical diversity, methodological innovation, and increased attention to the contexts and systemic conditions in which alternative media operate.
“In the volume, we bring together a fantastic group of scholars, each presenting a particular theoretical, methodological, or systemic perspective on alternative media. We hope that the book can provide a valuable resource for colleagues working on alternative media and related topics and help to consolidate alternative media research, as it enters a ‘third stage’ of cross-theoretical fertilisation, methodological innovation, and focus on contextual conditions”, notes Eva Mayerhöffer.
While rooted in European research and examples, the book also points towards questions relevant to the study of alternative and anti-mainstream media beyond Europe.
The book is published by Palgrave Macmillan and is available Open Access
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