Znet offers thousands of files consisting of articles, commentaries, debates, interviews, blogs, forums, audio, video, graphics, books, instructionals, and much much more. Subsites focus on particular places in the world, such as Iraq and Venezuela, and on particular topics, such as International Relations and Ecology – as well as on Vision and Strategy, particularly Participatory Economics, or Parecon for short. In my opinion, this is one of the most important websites in the world.

Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Democracy Now!’s War and Peace Report provides its audience with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S.corporate-sponsored media, including independent and international journalists, ordinary people from around the world who are directly affected by U.S. foreign policy, grassroots leaders and peace activists, artists, academics and independent analysts. In addition, Democracy Now! hosts real debates–debates between people who substantially disagree, such as between the White House or the Pentagon spokespeople on the one hand, and grassroots activists on the other.

Dissident Voice is an internet newsletter dedicated to challenging the distortions and lies of the corporate press and the privileged classes it serves. The goal of Dissident Voice is to provide hard hitting, thought provoking and even entertaining news and commentaries on politics and culture that can serve as ammunition in struggles for peace and social justice.

Black Agenda Report – The journal of African American political thought and action.

Alternative Radio is a weekly one-hour public affairs program offered free to all public radio stations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and on short-wave on Radio for Peace International. AR provides information, analyses and views that are frequently ignored or distorted in other media. Established in 1986, AR is dedicated to the founding principles of public broadcasting, which urge that programming serve as “a forum for controversy and debate,” be diverse and “provide a voice for groups that may otherwise be unheard.” The project is entirely independent, sustained solely by individuals who buy transcripts and tapes of programs.

FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting), the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. They work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, they expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. As a progressive group, FAIR believes that structural reform is ultimately needed to break up the dominant media conglomerates, establish independent public broadcasting and promote strong non-profit sources of information. Uniquely, FAIR works with both activists and journalists. They maintain a regular dialogue with reporters at news outlets across the country, providing constructive critiques when called for and applauding exceptional, hard-hitting journalism. They also encourage the public to contact media with their concerns, to become media activists rather than passive consumers of news.

The Institute for Public Accuracy seeks to broaden public discourse. With systematic outreach to media professionals, the Institute provides news releases that offer well-documented analysis of current events and underlying issues. Serving as a consortium for an abundance of diverse expertise, the Institute for Public Accuracy makes frequent communication possible between independent policy analysts and working journalists. IPA promotes the inclusion of perspectives that widen the bounds of media discussion and enhance democratic debate.

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Through education, organizing and advocacy, they promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications.

Free Speech TV broadcasts independently-produced documentaries dealing with social, political, cultural, and environmental issues; commissions and produces original programming; develops programming partnerships and collaborations with social justice organizations; provides special live broadcasts from remote locations; and maintains an adjunct Web site that hosts one of the Internet’s largest collection of progressive audio and video content. Seizing the power of television to expand social consciousness, FSTV fuels the movement for progressive social, economic, and political transformation. By exposing the public to perspectives excluded from the corporate-owned media, FSTV empowers citizens to fight injustices, to revitalize democracy, and to build a more compassionate world.

National Security Archive – An independent non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University, the Archive collects and publishes declassified documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The Archive also serves as a repository of government records on a wide range of topics pertaining to the national security, foreign, intelligence, and economic policies of the United States. The Archive won the 1999 George Polk Award, one of U.S. journalism’s most prestigious prizes, for-in the words of the citation-”piercing the self-serving veils of government secrecy, guiding journalists in the search for the truth and informing us all.” The Archive obtains its materials through a variety of methods, including the Freedom of Information act, Mandatory Declassification Review, presidential paper collections, congressional records, and court testimony. Archive staff members systematically track U.S. government agencies and federal records repositories for documents that either have never been released before, or that help to shed light on the decision-making process of the U.S. government and provide the historical context underlying those decisions.

Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts. They fight for openness and democratic accountability in government, for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts; for clean, safe and sustainable energy sources; for social and economic justice in trade policies; for strong health, safety and environmental protections; and for safe, effective and affordable prescription drugs and health care.

Citizen Works – A nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization founded by Ralph Nader in April 2001 to advance justice by strengthening citizen participation in power and give people the tools and opportunities to build democracy. (also check out the Fair Contracts Project).

Common Dreams – An eclectic mix of politics, issues and breaking news with an emphasis on progressive perspectives that are increasingly hard to find with our corporate-dominated media. A national non-profit citizens’ organization working to bring progressive Americans together to promote progressive visions for America’s future, Common Dreams is committed to being on the cutting-edge of using the internet as a political organizing tool – and creating new models for internet activism.

History is a Weapon - From the deeply revealing texts of Smedley Butler’s War is a Racket and Edward Bernays’ Propaganda to the speeches of Fred Hampton and Malcolm X to the analyses of Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, History is a Weapon offers one hell of a resource for revolutionary reading (and I’m talking about whole books right there on the site).

Ripping off the disclaimer from History is a Weapon’s Recommended Reading List (I’m a sucker for a good disclaimer), I make no claim that these sites endorse mine. Nor do I necessarily agree with every view on every site on this list. However, all of them are worth your time.

While this is short resource list, it should be an adequate start. More to come. Stay tuned.