Updated every two hours - showing: 1295 stories from 37 sources!
Updated every two hours - showing: 1295 stories from 37 sources!
About theIndependents – an independent media portal
theIndependents is an independent media portal and community initiative set up for the purposes of:
- Promoting and supporting independent media in all its (online) forms
- A place to promote information resources relevant to forth-coming elections, Government transparency and fairness and openness of the political discourse at large.
- A platform for open and inclusive news and commentary
- A portal for independent blogs
theIndependents is strictly non-aligned and non-partisan.
‘Independent Media Portal’ defined
Independent media is on the rise!
The corporately owned media – Nine Entertainment, News Limited and Seven West Media – have 65% of online “news” according to a Roy Morgan Survey. This dominance is an on-going risk for for our democracy., but it also belies the growth and proliferation of independent media.
theIndependents is for the other 35% – aiming to grow it.
Editorial Policies
theIndependents is not a publisher but an aggregator of sumarised content. We are an independent media portal only and do NOT represent or act as an agent for any of the content displayed.
Inclusions on this site is via non-curated* content from a number of independent media sources and blogs.
We publish only short summaries and excerpts from these sources and offer no opinions on their veracity or accuracy. To best of our ability we will remove sources that are hateful, incite criminal activity or violence or represent extreme views contrary to the fundamental principles of responsible free speech.
* “Featured” articles on the home page are updated daily by “the editor”.
Independent Media Portal – Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the criterion for inclusion?
Sites that are considered not “mainstream media” – i.e. the corporate owned media (News Limited, Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media). To ensure a steady flow of news stories from the ABC is included. Likewise, a limited amount of stories from The Guardian (Australia) are included.
What sites are included?
Apart from “not corporate mainstream” – that a site has a reasonable amount of following and has content available in a feed. The emphasis is on independent news and commentary, including sarcasm – but we don’t include sports and entertainment focused sites – there is enough of that around… (Except women’s sport, but that’s another story.)
Why are Reuters and other non-Australian sites included?
Mainstream media is selective in what they report and with what emphasis. There is also a lack of reporting on what is happening in our region.
How is content updated?
Content is received via “RSS feeds” – if a site has no such feed then we cannot receive or display its content.
How often is the site updated?
News sources are generally updated every two hours. Others vary depending on their publishing schedule – minimum once a day.
Is the content edited in any way?
No. The feeds are received and a synopsis of 30 to 50 words automatically created (if available). A featured image is included from the original source if available.
Are articles stored on the site?
No. To read an article a link is provided to the original source. The article feeds including images are regularly purged from this site.
Does the site collect any payment from sources?
No, this is a community service provided for the benefit of those seeking independent news and commentary.
How is the site funded?
This site is run on a shoestring made from oily rags. It is, however, professionally built and hosted securely. As traffic grows, funding may have to be sought from donations, limited advertising or other means, but not from Rupert…
I know a site that I think should be included, what do I do?
Contact us and we will check it out. Not all sites provide a suitable content feed, but most do, so as long as the site fits our broad criteria as outlined above, we’ll include it.
Want to get involved?
Have a site you think should be included? Have ideas for how to help promote independent media? Any comments or questions?
About the Founder
Kim Wingerei is an author and commentator – passionate about free speech, human rights, democracy and the politics of change.
“I have always been an avid reader of news and commentary. Over the last decade or so I witnessed an erosion in the quality and diversity of journalism as the mainstream media struggled with the transition from the traditional advertising based model to one reliant on entertainment and threatened by the search and social media giants.”
The plethora of independent media fills that gap and the quality commentators – those prepared to question the powers at be unencumbered by vested interest – are still around, just harder to find.
Hopefully this site will help bring independent media back front and centre of the debate.
Independent Media Register
Click for Google Spreadsheet.
Please contact us for any corrections or additions.
