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Normalising right-wing alternative media perspectives: A cross-national study of US and UK mainstream media systems

Cushion, Stephen; Thomas, Richard; Simon, Chedza; Jones, Wyl

Normalising right-wing alternative media perspectives: A cross-national study of US and UK mainstream media systems Thumbnail


Authors

Stephen Cushion

Richard Thomas

Wyl Jones



Abstract

In this article, we critically examine the degree to which left-wing and right-wing alternative media appeared in US and UK mainstream media. We develop a distinctive comparative approach by carrying out a comprehensive content analysis of references to US and UK alternative media sites between 2017 and 2021 in each country's mainstream news media systems. The study identified 3481 references in total and revealed that mainstream media featured alternative right-wing sites far more than left-wing sites, and their credibility as information sources was rarely questioned or challenged by professional journalists. Our cross-national comparative study also identified where different media and political systems enhanced and moderated the perspectives of alternative media, and their contributors in mainstream media. We argue that the more national media systems evolve into market-driven and deregulated environments then the more the editorial influence of right-wing partisan media will increase and conflate with the world of mainstream media.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 26, 2025
Online Publication Date Apr 13, 2025
Publication Date Apr 13, 2025
Deposit Date Apr 14, 2025
Publicly Available Date Apr 14, 2025
Journal International Communication Gazette
Print ISSN 1748-0485
Electronic ISSN 1748-0493
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 2025
Pages 1-22
ISBN 1748-0485
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/17480485251334019
Keywords Alternative media, mainstream media, comparative communications, media systems, content analysis
Publisher URL https://journals.sagepub.com/home/GAZ

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