Korea University "alternative Media" Research

In this paper, the author studies the effect and necessity of alternative media in the modern Korean society though homosexual magazines of those minority groups. The author analyses Queer Guide (a homosexual magazine which published from 2001 to 2007 by a homosexual group of Korea University), and studies its development process, current situation and difficulties, so as to determine its features as an alternative media. The author also compares the magazine to Korea's mainstream media from their reports and opinions, and affirms the value of its significance as an alternative medium. The alternative media has a different kind of view when reporting vulnerable groups, so we can find the mainstream society's misunderstandings and discrimination to them. We should reform the real media in the public domain, and look for a countermeasure for the vulnerable groups. The paper also meditates the direction of Korea's mainstream media in the situation of the government's media control, and enriches critical theory of eastern countries for the global communication theories.