When events like the Acteal massacre in Chiapas or the U.S. bombing of Sudan and Afghanistan occur, there are a variety of news sources you can go to for perspectives other than uncritical reporting of the latest press releases from the State Department and Pentagon. Some of the following resources deal with breaking stories; others provide the in-depth information necessary to interpret the news.

General International News Sources

Radio

The quickest progressive news source tends to be radio. While it's easiest to listen over the air, most shows are also available on the Internet via Real Audio--a good option if you miss a show or want to point friends to one. RealAudio is available for Macintosh and Windows computers from www.real.com. Shows listed below with an * can also be accessed though the WebActive home page (www.webactive.com).

KPFA 94.1 FM

The local affiliate of Pacifica airs a number of programs that provide progressive perspectives on international news. RealAudio versions of the nationally produced programs and additional information can be obtained at www.pacifica.org. KPFA shows that cover international issues include:

Democracy Now, 9 am and 4 pm weekdays
Amy Goodman's "exception to the rulers" is the single best daily international news source.

Flashpoints with Dennis Bernstein, 5 pm weekdays (except Monday)

KPFA Evening News, 6 pm daily

Pacifica Network News*, 3:30 pm weekdays

Living Room with Larry Bensky, Noon weekdays

Making Contact, 7:30 pm Mondays (www.peacenet.org/MakingContact )

TV

Free Speech TV

11 am Monday & Wednesday; 10 am Thursday, Channel 52

www.freespeech.org
Free Speech TV's Website offers audio and video files on a wide range of subjects. It also features headlines from the Non-Corporate Newswire and will soon Webcast programming 24 hours a day. The archives include interviews with political figures such as Mumia Abu-Jamal and a RealVideo documentary on Chiapas www.freespeech.org/boards/acteal.html).

Publications

Consortium / iF Magazine

At Cody's bookstore; (800) 738-1812 for info. www.consortiumnews.com/
Investigative journalist Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories when he worked at AP and Newsweek in the 1980s. Now he publishes iF Magazine and has a Website called the Consortium, which he updates every other week.

In These Times
On magazine racks; (800) 827-0270 for subscriptions
www.inthesetimes.com

This Chicago-based bi-weekly has excellent foreign coverage.

The Independent
Available at international newsstands
www.independent.co.uk

The Independent's Robert Fisk of is one of the best international reporters.

The Progressive
On magazine racks; (800) 827-0555 for info.
www.progressive.org

The Website offers selected stories from back issues and Web-only commentary.

The Nation
On magazine racks; (800) 333-8536 for info.
www.thenation.com
The Website has selected stories from each issue, a discussion area, and Nation Radio* in RealAudio.

San Francisco Bay Guardian
Free from newsracks, cafes, bookstores
www.sfbg.com

Online Resources

Often the fastest way to get information is not from Web publications, but from mailing lists, Usenet discussion groups, and discussion areas on Websites. You'll find a good directory of these resources at www.liszt.com. Many of the sites below run mailing lists that will notify you about new material.

Chomsky Archive
www.worldmedia.com/archive
Extensive links to Noam Chomsky's writings and interviews with the antiwar activist, media critic, and linguist.

Information Subway
www.speakeasy.org/citizen/infosubway
Home of the Non-Corporate Newswire and Direct Action.

Institute for Global Communications
www.igc.org
The home of PeaceNet and other progressive online networks has headlines and links to organizations and resources.

News Resources
newo.com/news

Links to newspapers and other news sources from around the world

Nonviolence Web
www.nonviolence.org
Peace resources and extensive analysis of military actions. Also houses a page for peace groups.

PeaceNet World News Service
www.igc.org/igc/services/pwn.html
The PeaceNet World News Service will e-mail you stories on selected subjects for a small fee.

Mexican Newspapers

La Jornada

Sunday edition at international newsstands
http://serpiente.dgsca.unam.mx/jornada/
Progressive daily newspaper with extensive coverage of all aspects of Mexican political developments.

Revista PROCESO
At international newsstands
www.proceso.com.mx/
Weekly magazine with a progressive view on Mexican politics.

News Clipping Services

Mexico NewsPak
hrde@igc.org or (512) 476-9841 for subscriptions
A bi-weekly compilation of articles from a variety of sources that discuss political, cultural, economic, and social conditions in Mexico. Produced by the Human Rights Documentation Exchange, which also puts out Central America NewsPak.

Data Center
(510) 835-4692
www.igc.org.datacenter/
Nonprofit research center. Publications include a monthly collection of articles on Latin America from the mainstream U.S. press (www.igc.org/isla/).

Online Resources

Reports

Slippery Slope: U.S. Military Moves Into Mexico
www.nonviolence.org/slipperyslope/
Brian Wilson's excellent report on U.S. military involvement in Mexico.

On The Offensive: Intensified Military Occupation in Chiapas Six Months Since the Massacre at Acteal
www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/mexico/OnTheOffensive.html
A special investigative report by Global Exchange (see below) provides extensive information on Mexican military and paramilitary activities since the Acteal massacre of December 1997.

E-mail Lists & News Sites

Chiapas Updates from PeaceNet's World News Service (in English and Spanish) www.igc.org/igc/wn/hg/morelia.html

Chiapas News E-mail List Website
www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html

Organizations' Websites

Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolome de las Casas
www.laneta.apc.org/cdhbcasas/index.htm
Human rights site of the dioceses of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas; frequently updated with reliable first-hand accounts of human rights violations in Chiapas.

Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez - PRODH
http://mixcoac.uia.mx/~prodh/default.htm/
Jesuit human rights center. Website includes frequent updates in Spanish and English.

Center for International Policy (CIP), Comprehensive listings of U.S. military aid and sales to Latin America
http://www.ciponline.org/facts/mx.htm

Enlace Civil, Chiapas
www.laneta.apc.org/enlacecivil
An organization that provides material aid to indigenous communities. Website includes frequent updates on the status of internal refugees in Chiapas.

Global Exchange
www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/mexico/
Global Exchange has been organizing delegations to Chiapas since February 1994. They have permanent presence in Mexico. Website includes reports on U.S. military aid to Mexico.

Mexico Solidarity Network
www.mexicosolidarity.org
A new grassroots coalition of U.S. local and national Mexico solidarity groups. Website includes mainstream news and wire stories on Mexico.

Nuevo Amanecer Press
www.nap.cuhm.mx/nap0.htm
Website with regular bulletins on human rights, news, and analysis (largely in Spanish).
Their e-mail list frequently contains English translations of important documents and articles from diverse sources.

SIPAZ
www.nonviolence.org/sipaz
Organizes delegations to Mexico. Permanent observers provide regular in-depth reports.

Steve Rhodes (www.well.com/~srhodes) is a Bay Area-based writer, member of Paper Tiger TV, board member of CCCO, and contributor to www.bud.com, a new alternative Web zine about Internet culture. Ben Clarke is MA's editing and design coordinator and is a member of MA's Latin America Committee.