Alternative Press Sets Sights On WTO Summit The Third World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference began on November 30, and press attention is coming from all quarters. The stakes are high and opinions on the proceedings range widely — although most news consumers would never know that from the mainstream media's uncritical, even celebratory coverage of the WTO summit. But while many corporate media outlets have cheered on the economic "liberalization" associated with deregulation and free-trade agreements such as NAFTA and GATT, a swelling chorus of alternative-media voices is offering critical commentary and, in some cases, full-throated protest. The mobilization of alternative media around the WTO summit is a grassroots response to what media activists see as uncritical reportage by mainstream news media. Big media's free-trade boosterism is a symptom, the argument goes, of their corporate ownership. As well, say critics, balanced debates about the effects of WTO decisions on human rights, workplace safety, and the environment are too often absent from the nightly news; typically, they're marginalized in alternative publications with small audiences. Below are links to some of the alternative coverage of the WTO summit online. Bring others to our attention and add your own comments on media coverage of the proceedings by e-mailing us at editor@mediachannel.org.

Media Advisory: Corporate Media Avoids The Issues As the WTO summit makes Page One news, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting finds mainstream media are misrepresenting the real issues of global trade and obscuring the concerns of the tens of thousands of protesters speaking out in Seattle. Pay No Attention To The Masses Behind The Curtain Protest? What Protest? Media Channel Senior Editor Larry Bensky braved mainstream media rumors of cop-killer bullets, bioweapons, and a permanent blight on Seattle's image to bring back the story behind the story. From The Media Channel, November 29 1999.  Cell Phones And Gas Masks According to APBnews.com's "Media Watch" column, activist "media jammers" have monkeywrenched mainstream news outlets' attempts to put an official spin on the WTO protests, distributing parody newspapers, squirting red dye on a TV news camera, and mocking the laughable spectacle of a TV commentator "trying to talk into a cell phone through a gas mask." Have A Nice Riot "The WTO has been fully accustomed to operating with scant media scrutiny in this country," writes media critic Norman Solomon. "Now, the battle of Seattle has torn off the WTO's happy-face stickers." ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF COVERAGE Reporting Live From Downtown Seattle Beginning on November 29th, the night before the opening of the WTO Ministerial Conference, the Seattle Independent Media Center will feature reports, video, and articles from a non-corporate media perspective. They are currently inviting contributions. The WTO Radio Show This collaboration between the National Radio Project, the Institute for Public Accuracy, and Corporate Watch will be broadcasting live one-hour programs from the summit in Seattle. Listen to it online or on a public radio station near you. Interview: Planning Alternative Coverage Eric Galatas of Free Speech TV discusses the independent media plans to cover the WTO event. The a-Infos Radio Project hosts the program in downloadable MP3 and streaming audio formats. "Battle In Seattle" Free Trade vs. Fair Trade is the subject of The Nation's special issue on the WTO. Just as there are a vast range of activities planned by anti-WTO activists in Seattle, there is also a range of opinion within the protest community — on everything from the specific dangers posed by global trade policy to the best approaches to opposing it. The Debate: Globalization And The WTO Noted citizen advocates, such as Ralph Nader of Public Citizen, are pitted against pro-globalization representatives, including U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade David Aaron, for a November 30th debate that will be webcast on Progress Project. On The Activist Front Z Magazine offers extensive coverage of the anti-WTO protests and demonstrations taking place in Seattle and around the Web, as well as in-depth reports on the big issues surrounding global economics and international trade policies. The Alt Press And The WTO Independent journalism syndicator Alternet features articles on the hottest topics in the WTO debate. They plan to offer "up-to-the-minute" coverage once the event begins, focusing on "free trade and economic activism." WTO Watch A comprehensive guide to the WTO and international trade issues, featuring a calendar of activities in Seattle, resources, news, and background documents for journalists, specialists and concerned citizens. Will The Real WTO Homepage Please Step Forward Corporate sabotage artists RTMark's latest online project is their version of the WTO home page. While at first glance it appears to be a mirror image of the official site, scathing criticism of the international trade body and strong anti-globalization sentiment lie within. International Perspectives OneWorld Online has brought together WTO reports from NGOs and advocacy groups from around the world. Coverage includes action alerts, critical analysis, and information for getting involved in the protests.   What's Your View? Speak Out in the MediaChannel Forum. AS THE MEDIA WATCH THE WORLD, WE WATCH THE MEDIA.