Alternative and Mainstream Media
First of all - you can access mainstream news sites for free from the Waterloo Public Library site if you have a WPL or KPL library card. Use the graphic above to determine the quality of some mainstream sources. Now for the alternative media...
Social Study Experiment Sites
EurekAlert - a news feed of all social science studies (and others)
Plos One - a collection of studies - choose Social Studies and narrow your search
Petition and Letter-Writing Sites
Unpublish Ottawa - read or add your letters to the federal government
Change.org - add a petition to be signed worldwide and follow their steps to take action
Magazines or News Feeds
Webshites - Websites to watch out for! (Just because it's independent, doesn't mean it's good journalism) - also check out this Media Bias Tool.
Adbusters - culture jamming from the source
Al Jazeera - independent news media broadcast from Qatar
Criticism of Al Jazeera bias (and here too) - it's general good until reporting on
something too close to Qatar's interests (e.g. provoking war in Syria)
Anonymous - activist group
Avaaz - Mobilizes the masses for campaigns of change in many areas worldwide.
Council of Canadians - Canadian information on environmental and political issues.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Environmental and political issues. (left)
Center for Public Integrity (CPI) - investigations of money in politics, national security, health care reform, business and the environment
Democracy Now! - daily independent international news (leans left)
Environmental Defence - Canadian information on environmental issues
Extra! Extra! - watchdog journalism
Global Research - Research on Globalization
Grist - Environmental studies and news
Human Rights Watch - an organization that pays attention to human rights abuses
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) - tips and training for investigation
Leadnow - issues of Canadian democracy
Mises - Ludwig von Mises Institute - libertarian economics (leans right)
Mother Jones - non-profit investigative news
Moyers and Company - Bill Moyers reporting
NPR - National Public Radio - articles and podcasts on current news
Nation of Change - progressive journalism for positive action
Politico - just political news (leans right)
ProPublica - a nonprofit investigative news site - won a Pulitzer Prize
RT - Russia Today - English-language news from Moscow
Rabble - an anti-corporate media site - "news for the rest of us"
Real Clear Investigations - collection of news sources
Resilience - writing on energy, environment, politics...
Straight Goods News - a Canadian news source - bankrupted, but archives available
Stratfor - geopolitical articles (leans right)
- involved in an insider trading scandal and other criticisms
The Baffler - media and political analysis
The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) - investigates the path money takes
The Intercept - Glenn Greenwald investigative reporting
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) - 190 journalists
The New Statesman - a British magazine (leans left)
Tom Dispatch - anti-war articles
Truth Out - A Non-Profit On-line Magazine
Truthdig - Drilling Beneath the Headlines - where Chris Hedges writes
Vice - Canadian based coverage of international news, pop culture, and art
- with Rupert Murdoch's money
Vox - Wiki-like news features to help people understand complex issues
Z Magazine - a magazine dedicated to resisting injustices
Video and Audio News
HLNTV - video footage of current issues
Democracy Now! - daily independent international news (leans left)
Frontline - investigative documentary programs
Reveal - investigative radio and podcasts
The Real News - political news show
Trews - the "true news" - Russell Brand's controversial videos on current issues
Upworthy - viral videos on social issues and more
We Are Change - an independent journalist tries to get to the truth in government
Video Ideas
TED Talks - talks on all manner of new ideas with a screen of images behind them
Inequality Media - videos from Robert Reich
Big Think - more talks typically by scientists or social scientists without a screen
The Moth - narratives of science, art, and life - live, on stage
Blogger Journalists of Note
George Monbiot - British environmental journalist
Robert Reich - website of political advisor and economics professor
Montreal Simon - Canadian lefty political blogger and journalist
Greg Palast - American journalist - focusing on democratic issues and injustices
The Nader Page - American consumer advocate (and occasional politician)
Bruce Levine - a psychologist who thinks some therapy is a means to stop protest
Extra, Extra - Investigative Reporting and Editors blog
Political Satire
The Onion
Last Week Tonight - John Oliver
The Daily Show
The Colbert Report
Mcpocalypse
The Lapine - Canadian news satire
The Beaverton - North American satire