What is Raw Story Media?

Raw Story Media, Inc. is private public-interest organization aimed at improving the breadth, depth and accessibility of alternative media.

Its properties include The Raw Story, a headline and exclusive news nexus focused on politics; Blue Lemur News, a sister site focused on condensing and highlighting sections of various reportage to provide wider, more open access to myriad media; and the Blue Lemur Community, a network of liberal blogs intended to promote commentary, involvement and transparency on issues of the day.

Why is Raw Story vital?

Global media, especially American media, is increasingly dominated by fewer and fewer companies. When Ben Bagdikian published the first edition of his book, The Media Monopoly, in 1982, he estimated that the vast majority of the American media was owned by fewer than fifty companies. By December 1986, when he finished his second edition, that number had dropped to 20.

Today, there are fewer than 10.

Journalism.org’s State of the News Media 2004 notes that big media focuses on profitability while cutting back on news. “Many traditional media are maintaining their profitability by focusing on costs, including cutting back in their newsrooms.” The dearth of reporters ultimately means that remaining journalists must rely more on potentially manipulative sources in order to get the ‘scoop.’

“Those who would manipulate the press and public appear to be gaining leverage over the journalists who cover them,” the report asserts. “The increased leverage enjoyed by news sources has already encouraged a new kind of checkbook journalism, as seen in … efforts to try to get interviews with Michael Jackson and Jessica Lynch.”

As such, the need for an online resource drawing on hundreds of media sources available to all becomes easily apparent. Raw Story draws on hundreds of online media sources, spotlighting dozens of stories a day that will never appear in American print or television sources. Raw Story breaks stories traditional media either misses or comes in days late – such as an Armed Services’ newspaper calling for Rumsfeld’s resignation. Raw Story had the scoop 24 hours before the Associated Press.

But it’s not simply the big stories. Raw Story has also covered issues underplayed or ignored by the media, such as the chilling effect of constant ‘terrorism’ threats; the harder edges of the continuing prisoner torture scandals; the dirty tricks of the 2004 election cycle; and the rights of women, gays and minorities.

Whereas television or print media will outline a story, we provide the details – responses from the media itself, concerned citizens, and additional stories in newspapers and magazines around the world.

Our properties: