Divisions of labor: Why alternative news users seek out mainstream news media in Denmark and how they combine mainstream and alternative content

Abstract

Alternative media users have low trust in mainstream media but use them, nonetheless. Departing from this paradox, this study explores why the users seek out mainstream media and how they combine alternative and mainstream content. Qualitative interviews with 25 users of Danish alternative media show that they especially use mainstream news for general orientation but also to fulfil social, opinion, and entertainment needs, as part of everyday habits, and because of unwanted incidental exposure. Furthermore, the study identifies two distinct ways of combining alternative and mainstream media. (1) A clear division of labor where mainstream media provide orientation on current affairs and parts of the picture on topics the users consider biased in mainstream news; and alternative media give counterbalance by providing the missing pieces. (2) An unclear division of labor where alternative and mainstream media play overlapping roles, rendering alternative media less important to the users. The findings suggest that the use of alternative media only makes sense in combination with mainstream news and give little indication that they could entirely displace mainstream media. However, this must be understood in relation to the specific Danish media context and the study concludes by discussing the findings’ relevance in other media contexts. The findings are based on a small sample and cannot be generalized to all Danish users of alternative media.