Grassroots Journalism and the International Network of Street Papers

I'm a big fan of alternative, independent media especially because such outlets allow for more perspectives, insights and opinions to come forth as opposed to the narrow range of discourse broadcasted on corporate media. This is why I found this article "Reporting From the Ground" in In These Times so interesting.

Its about an organization called International Network of Street Papers, whose affiliate publications are focused on "self-sustaining, skill-building, advocacy journalism for the poor, disenfranchised, and homeless." Founded in 1994, affiliate publications of INSP and their street papers, reach about 32 million in 38 countries around the world.

These street papers cover issues such as "Class structure, poverty, housing, homelessness, the drug war, incarceration, infectious diseases, gang life, racial/ethnic/religious discrimination, police brutality, sex trafficking and prostitution" from the perspective of marginalized portions of the population with the support of street news service as well as big name media outlets like Reuters, InterPress Service and Al-Jazeera English.

Spent several months through a college doing community organizing work at a soup kitchen in Detroit and just from talking to the people there and getting to know them, gained a new understanding of the people there struggling in difficult situations to get back on their feet. I would've liked to publicize their voices and issues in a street paper through INSP. I think its important for us as a society to actually understand the daily experiences of those facing poverty and homelessness by listening to what they have to say rather than judging them with our biases against the poor inflated by the right wing and corporate media.