Before It’ sIt’s News, commonly known as BIN, it was one of the largest alternative news aggregation websites on the internet. Launched in 2008 by an anonymous group, the site aims to provide News and information to readers before the mainstream media covers such stories. This article will examine Before It’s News – its history, functioning, controversies, and impact on the alternative media landscape.
The Rise of Before It’s News
Before Its News started, it presented itself as a citizen journalism platform where anyone could publish news stories, reports, and analyses. The site emerged when the alternative media scene was booming in the post-9/11 era, as many became disillusioned with the mainstream media. BIN tapped into this anti-establishment sentiment and flourished by crowdsourcing news content from independent contributors.
Within a few years, it grew exponentially and became one of the dominant platforms for alternative perspectives on global events. By 2015, Before It’sIt’s News reportedly generated over 10 million monthly page views. The simplicity of its publishing interface made it very easy for contributors to upload text, images, and video stories quickly. This open submission model helped BIN amass a vast volume and variety of news content.
Philosophy and Functioning
The stated mission of Before It’s News is to be a transparent news platform that shares information with the public before the mainstream media covers such stories. On its About page, the site aims to publish reports ” from readers and writers worldwide” to give people “a chance to decide for themselves” on current affairs.
Before, ItsIt’s News functioned as an open, crowdsourced news aggregator. Visitors can sign up as contributors and directly upload stories without approval. There is no fact-checking of submissions. Stories are posted in real time as the contributors write them. Readers can then view, share, and discuss these reports on the site. Contributions that receive more engagement raise the rankings. beforeitsnews
Controversies Around Credibility
While Before It’sIt’s News presents itself as an alternative to the ” controlled media,” it has faced severe criticism over the years regarding lack of fact-checking and credibility issues with some stories. Common complaints include:
- Unverified claims – Many stories assert boldly without providing verifiable evidence or credible sourcing to back up allegations. This has led to the circulation of inaccurate or misleading information at times.
- Conspiracy theories – Before It’s News is widely known as a platform that publishes content related to various fringe theories around significant world events. Readers have to filter information critically.
- Satirical submissions – Occasionally, outright satirical stories are posted and taken seriously by some readers who fail to recognize them as parodies or satire.
- Biased slant – Critics argue the site tends to take an anti-establishment, pro-conservative viewpoint on issues due to the biases of dominant contributors over the years.
- Clickbait sensationalism – To generate more views and social shares, some stories resort to sensationalist headlines that are only sometimes backed by the actual report, defeating the purpose of transparent, fact-based journalism.
Over the past decade, these issues have prompted many observers to be wary of relying on Before It’sIt’s News as a primary news source. Readers are advised to cross-check information from elsewhere and apply discernment with the crowd-submitted reports on the site.
Impact and Reach Today
Despite criticisms of credibility, Before It’sIt’s News has endured as one of the top alternative media platforms. According to SimilarWeb, it currently receives over 4 million monthly visitors, making it a leader in the independent online publishing space. Some critical aspects of its continued influence include:
- Social sharing – Stories from BIN spread widely on social media sites like Facebook, giving it broader visibility beyond its traffic. This has boosted its popularity over the years.
- Forums – The discussion forums on Before It’sIt’s News see active participation and allow community feedback on news stories, which attracts more regular visitors.
- Search visibility – Its stories often rank well in search results for current event-related keywords, bringing in new readers through search engines.
- Diverse topics – The platform hosts content on a vast range of subjects beyond just politics and current affairs. This variety keeps readers engaged on the site.
- Mobile friendly – BIN is optimized for smartphone and tablet use, making it convenient for on-the-go consumption of alternative reports and analysis.
- No viable competitors – No other alternative news websites have been able to match Before It’s News at scale and network effects yet, cementing its leadership position.
So, despite doubts about reliability, Before It’sIt’s News has served for over a decade as a significant platform for crowdsourced alternative journalism online. It will be interesting to see how the site evolves its model further to improve fact-checking while retaining reader trust.
Credible Alternative News Sources for Fact-Checking BIN
Considering the challenges of verifying the credibility of some stories on Before It’sIt’s News, it is wise for readers to cross-check information from other less partisan sources. Here are some vetted alternatives recommended for fact-checking BIN reports:
- Associated Press (AP)
- The AP is a primary international non-profit news agency renowned for objective reporting.
- Its fact-checking process involves multiple layers of review for accuracy.
- Reuters
- – Another reputed global news cooperative known for unbiased, facts-first journalism.
- – Reporters have to adhere to strict editorial guidelines and attribution standards.
- BBC
- – The British public service broadcaster is considered relatively neutral on most topics.
- – Its staff journalists undergo training in verifying information from multiple angles.
- NPR
- National Public Radio in the U.S. upholds high editorial principles of non-partisanship.
- In-depth investigative reports and exclusive sourcing lend credibility.
- FactCheck.org
- A non-partisan fact-checking organization that meticulously analyzes the factual accuracy of claims.
- A reliable third-party source to ascertain the veracity of reports on BIN.
- Politifact
- – An independent fact-checking project from the Poynter Institute that rates the truthfulness of claims.
- The bipartisan approach makes it suitable for vetting political/policy stories.
Using a combo of such well-established media organizations would help readers gain a balanced perspective to discern truth from speculative or propagandistic information, especially on contentious topics covered by BIN.
Reliable Sources on BIN: Popular Contributors
While the open publishing model means BIN features a diversity of opinions, some contributors over the years have developed a record of generating reliable, fact-based reports. Here are some of the famous authors known for credible alternative journalism:
- Steve Quayle – Offers insightful geopolitical analyses and breaking updates on warfare technology.
- Sorcha Faal – Investigative research group known for in-depth reports on covert global activities.
- Jim Stone – An expert on technical subjects who has broken several surveillance-related stories.
- Sarah Westall – Her finance and insider interviews provide a different lens to mainstream business coverage.
- Michael Snyder – Thought-provoking essays on economic trends away from consensus narratives.
- Mac Slavo – Founder of SHTFplan with actionable tips for civil unrest natural disasters preparedness.
- Dr. Joseph Farrell – Fascinating deep dives into forbidden science, occult history, and suppressed technologies.
- Geoengineering Watch – Leading portal on climate engineering issues sidelined by mainstream sources.
- Paul Craig Roberts – Renowned geopolitical commentator known for challenging establishment viewpoints.
Readers can stay updated on articles from such seasoned alternative journalists and evaluate their submissions with discernment on BIN. Their experience lends authority to specialized niches not fully covered elsewhere.
Rise of Citizen Journalism
Before It’sIt’s News is emblematic of a broader trend – the democratization of news media thanks to the internet. No longer dependent on legacy publishers, the media production tools have empowered individuals to report directly on issues that matter to them. While posing challenges, crowdsourced journalism brings diverse grassroots perspectives when done responsibly.
Some key takeaways on modern citizen media include:
- Anyone can be a publisher – The internet has broken the gatekeeping dominance of traditional media corporations. Participants actively shape the news cycle.
- Global outreach potential – Independent online platforms like BIN have a vast global audience reach larger than many legacy newspapers at much lower costs.
- Multi-faceted stories – Citizen journalism supplements traditional media by reporting from viewpoints mainstream outlets may miss due to biases or constraints.
- A platform for voices outside power circles – The internet acts as an equalizing force, amplifying reportage from outside political/corporate spheres of influence.
- Veracity is still crucial – While democratizing news production, upholding factual accuracy remains essential, as false or misleading information can undermine the credibility of the whole model.
- Collaborative potential – Citizen media can also collaborate with professional journalists to report complex topics by combining on-ground perspectives with editing/research support.
In conclusion, despite quality concerns over some content, Before It’sIt’s News has made a seminal contribution to alternative journalism. As an open media platform, it voices meaningful discussions and viewpoints. Improved verification could better serve the evolving.
