For years I’ve been telling friends and family (and anyone else who will listen) to stop following mainstream media (MSM). While I genuinely mean all kinds of media, the one I emphasize the most is the news. I make this suggestion for two reasons: (1) the news tends to report shocking, tragic and depressing stories more than uplifting and life-affirming ones — an improper balance in a healthy info-diet; and (2) it’s riddled with lies and propaganda that unconsciously shape the way we think.
This post is not going to be a deconstruction of how lobbying, corporate sponsorship, meddling intelligence agencies and powerful individuals have virtually destroyed journalism. Instead I’m going to propose an alternative. On the occasion that I get someone’s attention on this subject I’m inevitably asked the question: “well how do you get your news?” When this happens, I have a loose collection of links that I share. I’ve now finally decided to put together a more formal list.
It’s taken me many years to be able to dissect a news article and know whether I’m being mislead or lied to. I still get caught from time to time, but I think I’ve developed a strong eye for manipulation. This ability has been honed due to the tireless work of those in what I will call for simplicity the “alternative media.”
Below is a list of individuals and organizations I have come to consult on a regular basis. Most of these source are independently funded (often through subscriber donations) but are different from more traditional “independent” media. A publication like The Intercept is independent, but they are funded by billionaire eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar. This is not the same kind of independence as those I’ve listed below who are in some cases closer to citizen journalists.
An important disclaimer: This list is not a wholesale endorsement of everything they do or say, but these are people that I trust and believe are committed to finding truth even if they get things wrong from time to time. At the very least, these are people who think for themselves and are doing the work that the MSM refuses to do.
Bear in mind that you will inevitably find slanderous remarks about some of these people on the internet. Many of them have dealt with character attacks, censorship, de-platforming, denial of service attacks and other attempts to suppress their work. This fact alone does not validate the truth of their reporting, of course, but it does raise questions.
Finally, this list is far from exhaustive, but there are enough resources here to get a sense of what the “alt-media” community looks like. I cannot claim any of the sources listed will give you the truth, but I can attest that they are committed to finding the truth at any cost. The same cannot be said for CNN or Fox News. Trust your gut and see what resonates.
The Corbett Report
Corbett has been in the game for a long time. He’s known as the “hardest working man in alternative media” and when you look at his output over the last 15 years, it’s hard to find anyone that challenges that position. His commitment to “open source” news is particularly important. He sticks to the facts and cites every single source he refers to on his website a long with transcripts for all his videos.
In addition to his regularly programmed news segments, he’s also put together a number of longer form documentaries that cover a number of key topics and events like 9/11, the banking system, oil and big pharma.
He also co-hosts “New World Next Week” with James Evan Pilato of Media Monarchy (who I also recommend), but haven’t included on this list as he runs more of a mixed media radio show.
The Last American Vagabond
Ryan Christian records “The Daily Wrap” 4-5 times a weeks where he covers the biggest stories in the news. Each episode is roughly 2 hours long and includes a wealth of links and articles. He’s done an excellent job during the Covid-era and like Corbett, he’s also a great place to start if you’d like to keep up with the big picture.
The Conscious Resistance
Derrick Broze has starting writing for The Last American Vagabond, but he is best known for leading his own organization, The Conscious Resistance Network. He’s a great journalist, activist, and speaker based out of Houston, Texas.
He and his his team have also founded the Freedom Cells project, a network of “peer to peer groups organizing themselves in a decentralized manner with the collective goal of asserting the sovereignty of group members through peaceful resistance and the creation of alternative institutions.”
Whitney Webb — Unlimited Hangout
Formerly a journalist for Mint Press News (see below), she now writes for The Last American Vagabond and at her own website Unlimited Hangout where she also hosts other writers. She’s a fearless journalist who garnered some attention for her coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case. In general, she tends to focus her attention on intelligent agencies, Silicon Valley, geopolitics and other facets of the military-industrial complex.
Mint Press News
A staple of independent journalism, MPN has been home to many journalists wishing to cover stories that don’t get proper coverage in the mainstream. There are many contributors, but regulars Alan Macleod, Raul Diego and Max Blumenthal are bylines worth following. Not as fringe as some of the others I’ve listed here.
Ice Age Farmer
Christian focuses primarily on the agriculture industry, farming practices and food sovereignty. He advocates for growing your own food and opting out of the Big Ag system both for health reasons and greater independence from the corporate food system. Christian also focuses on the concept of the “grand solar minimum” sun cycle as well as the greenwashing and hypocracy inherent in the climate change agenda.
Jason Goodman — Crowdsource The Truth
I don’t agree with Jason’s politics (he’s more right leaning than I like), but he’s a good speaker who continues to release interviews with interesting people. For an open mind, his show is a great source for thought-provoking material.
Ben Swann — Truth in Media
Swann was fired from his job at CBS after running a segment that investigated the “Pizza-gate” story in 2017. Rather than walk back his take on the piece, he struck out on his own and launched Truth in Media and more recently, ISE Media. He’s a slick presenter who does his homework and isn’t afraid to tackle controversial stories.
Truthstream Media
Aaron and Melissa Dykes produce documentary films and videos about a variety of topics but their best work focused on mind control, social engineering and transhumanism. Their four hour documentary The Minds of Men is an in-depth history of cybernetics, mental programming and how we got to where we are today.
Catherine Austin Fitts — The Solari Report
Fitts is known for her deep knowledge of dark money and how the global financial system really works. She publishes the Solari Report, a quarterly magazine that looks at financial system from a perspective that acknowledges the corruption in Washington and the global banking system.
Joseph P. Farrell — Giza Death Star
Known for his brand of “high octane speculation”, Farrell is an interesting character with unusual ideas. He has a doctorate in patristics and focuses his writing about alternative history and science. He blogs daily about various news items where he injects his unique perspective on world events.
The Vigilant Citizen
The VC has been running for over ten years. During that time, he has unpacked the esoteric symbolism embedded in pop culture from film and TV to music and fashion. Some of the material may appear to be fringe and speculative — it’s full-on Illuminati — but I’ve included it this list because he shows how pervasive certain messages seem to be in all forms of media.
Special Mentions
Below are a list of other folks in the alt-media space that I check in with on a less regular basis. This is a mixed list of networks, bloggers, Youtubers and other personalities doing their thing in search of Truth.
I’m just going to list them without any caveats and trust that a discerning reader will recognize I don’t endorse everything they say. In fact, I disagree with many of them on a variety of issues, but I still find their opinions and arguments worthwhile.