I really hate title of this article. If it sounds familiar, it should be. You probably have heard “Is disco dead?” “Is punk rock dead?” “Is Facebook dead?” Is stock investing dead?” “Is bitcoin trading dead?”
The funny thing about all these titles and anxieties that they reveal is that they bring to mind Mark Twain. He said very famously that the news of his death is greatly exaggerated.
The interesting thing about any kind of phenomenon is that the moment it starts getting big, you can bet that somehow some way somebody would come to the conclusion that it has peaked and it’s pretty much dead. That’s just human nature. That’s just the nature of the beast as far as media is concerned. I’ve got some great news for you.
The answer to the title of this article is that it’s both. Alternative media, as we have known it traditionally, is, for all intents and purposes, dead. That’s right. You can stick a fork in it. You can bury it six feet deep. It’s gone. It has gone the way of the digital dodo. There’s no discussion to be had. There’s no debate. It’s gone.
If you define alternative media as picking up some sort of specialized easy or scraps of paper stapled together that you get through your mailbox, I’m sorry. It’s gone. Those days are over.
However, if you’re talking about alternative media that is shared through e-mail or through blogs and social media platform like Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Plus, Facebook or Facebook Groups, alternative media is not just alive but it’s going through a golden age. I know that sounds crazy. How can something that’s both dead be riotously and flamboyantly be alive at the same time?
Well, it all boils down to platform. You have to understand that there will always be a need for alternative media because mainstream media, at some level or other, just can’t get it. It’s always a day late and a buck short as far as trends and community developments are concerned.
Alternative media is the first to appear at the scene because it is media for, by and of the people. Whether you are looking to reach cool, goth kids with the latest emo products, or if you’re looking to reach nerds who are more legit than the cast of the Big Bang Theory, alternative media is your best bet.
The best part to all of this is that it does not have to cost you a pretty penny. That’s right. It’s not going to burn a hole through your pocket because a lot of alternative media practitioners, in whatever platform they use, aren’t in it for the money. They’re in it for passion. They’re in it for community service. They’re in it to get to the heart of the scene. Money is a secondary factor to most of them, if it’s even a factor at all.
If you’re looking to maximize the bang that you get for every hard-earned dollar you spend on media outreach and brand awareness, consider alternative media. It is far from dead. In fact, for all intents and purposes, it might even be reaching a golden age right now.