The conÂsolÂiÂdaÂtion of big media in print, TV, and interÂnet has had some seriÂousÂly deleÂteÂriÂous effects on polÂiÂtics and culÂture, not least of which has been the major depenÂdence on social media as a means of mass comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion. While these platÂforms give space to voicÂes we may not othÂerÂwise hear, they also flatÂten and monÂeÂtize comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion, spread abuse and disÂinÂforÂmaÂtion, force the use of one-size-fits-all tools, and creÂate the illuÂsion of an open, demoÂcÂraÂtÂic forum that obscures the gross inequities of real life.
Today’s media landÂscape stands in stark conÂtrast to that of the mid-to-late twenÂtiÂeth cenÂtuÂry, when indeÂpenÂdent and alterÂnaÂtive pressÂes flourÂished, disÂsemÂiÂnatÂing art, poetÂry, and radÂiÂcal polÂiÂtics, and offerÂing cusÂtom platÂforms for marÂginÂalÂized comÂmuÂniÂties and disÂsenters. While the future of indeÂpenÂdent media seems, today, unclear at best, a look back at the indie pressÂes of decades past may show a way forÂward.
ParaÂdoxÂiÂcalÂly, the same techÂnolÂoÂgy that threatÂens to impose a globÂal monoÂculÂture also enables us to archive and share thouÂsands of unique artiÂfacts from more hetÂeroÂdox ages of comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion. One stelÂlar examÂple of such an archive, IndeÂpenÂdent VoicÂes—“an open access colÂlecÂtion of an alterÂnaÂtive press”—stores sevÂerÂal hunÂdred digÂiÂtized copies of periÂodÂiÂcals “proÂduced by femÂiÂnists, disÂsiÂdent GIs, camÂpus radÂiÂcals, Native AmerÂiÂcans, anti-war activists, Black PowÂer advoÂcates, HisÂpanÂics, LGBT activists, the extreme right-wing press and alterÂnaÂtive litÂerÂary magÂaÂzines durÂing the latÂter half of the 20th cenÂtuÂry.”
These pubÂliÂcaÂtions come from the speÂcial colÂlecÂtions of sevÂerÂal dozen libraries and indiÂvidÂuÂals and span the years 1951 to 2016. While examÂples from recent years show that alterÂnaÂtive print pubÂliÂcaÂtions haven’t disÂapÂpeared, the richÂest, most hisÂtorÂiÂcalÂly resÂoÂnant examÂples tend to come from the 60s and 70s, when the varÂiÂous strains of the counÂterÂculÂture formed colÂlecÂtive moveÂments and aesÂthetÂics, often powÂered by easy-to-use mimeoÂgraph machines.
As GeorÂgia State UniÂverÂsiÂty hisÂtoÂriÂan John McMilÂlian says, the “hunÂdreds of radÂiÂcal underÂground newsÂpaÂpers” that proÂlifÂerÂatÂed durÂing the VietÂnam war “eduÂcatÂed and politiÂcized young peoÂple, helped to shore up activist comÂmuÂniÂties, and were the movement’s priÂmaÂry means of interÂnal comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion.” These pubÂliÂcaÂtions, notes The New YorkÂer’s Louis Menand, repÂreÂsent “one of the most sponÂtaÂneous and aggresÂsive growths in pubÂlishÂing hisÂtoÂry.”
With pubÂliÂcaÂtions from the era like And Ain’t I a Woman, Bread & RosÂes, Black DiaÂlogue, Gay LibÂerÂaÂtor, Grunt Free Press, Native MoveÂment, and The YipÂster Times, IndeÂpenÂdent VoicÂes showÂcasÂes the height of counÂterÂculÂturÂal activist pubÂlishÂing. These are only a smatÂterÂing of titles on offer. Each issue is archived in a high-resÂoÂluÂtion, downÂloadÂable PDF, perÂfect for brushÂing up on your genÂerÂal knowlÂedge of secÂond-wave femÂiÂnism or 60s Black PowÂer; sourcÂing scholÂarÂship on the develÂopÂment of radÂiÂcal, alterÂnaÂtive press over the past sixÂty years; or findÂing mateÂrÂiÂal to inspire the future of indie media, whatÂevÂer form it hapÂpens to take. Enter the IndeÂpenÂdent VoicÂes archive here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness