[IMC-Editorial] International Research Project Alternative Media

[kerstin.renner at ku-eichstaett.de]

Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt


Dear media-maker,


"The broadcasting system must be changed from distribution system into a communication apparatus", Bertolt Brecht demanded in his Radio-Theory of 1932. This would be accomplished, in his opinion, if it could "make the listener not only hear, but also speak, and not to isolate him but to involve him in a relationship." Such hopes about the possibilities of interaction and participation in designing the medium were also raised in connection with the internet. In particular, some people saw the chance that the distribution of alternative information would be enhanced with the help of the internet and thus a democratization of the communication process would be made possible.

I am a student of journalism at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Germany. As I have already mentioned in my previous e-mail, I am currently working on my master's thesis on alternative media on the internet. My main concerns are the motivations of the media-makers. With this survey I want to analyse, among other things, the following points: Why do people turn to alternative media on the internet? How does their function fit into the 'classical' image of the journalist? What role does the internet lay as an instrument of networking with people of similar interests? This survey is directed to makers of English and German alternative media that put the emphasis, concerning their content, on issues of social criticism.

It is important to know that I am not looking for a single answer for your publication. Rather, your personal opinions and experiences as a media-maker play the most important role. It is essential for the meaningfulness of the survey that I have as many answers as possible at my disposal. Every survey counts! I would like to ask you to take some time to fill in the survey that is linked to this e-mail and send it back in the next weeks. Should you not be the right person of your publication to talk to, it would be very nice if you could forward this e-mail to other members of your publication. The same is true, should you know other media-makers that can support this study. The processing of the survey will take about 20 minutes. Your anonymity will be protected unless you agree to have further contact. 

Should you have questions or suggestions concerning the survey or the study, do not hesitate to contact me under the following address:

Kerstin Renner
Altersheimweg 6
85072 Eichstätt ? Germany
Tel.: (+49) 08421 ? 934232
Fax: (+49) 09145 ? 837178
E-mail: kerstin.renner at ku-eichstaett.de

I thank you for your time and support of this project.

Yours truly

Kerstin Renner

This is the link to the survey. Should it not work, please copy and paste it onto the web.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?A=7304021E8486

Thank you again.