Alternative publications serve the purpose of providing a space for points of view that would not be published in mainstream sources. Historically, alternative media material types have been: pamphlets to be handed out, self-published books, and from roughly 1930 through 1990 fanzines that crafted narratives of pop culture media. Since the 1980s zines, short for magazine or fanzine, were created in various genres and distributed through the mail.

Zines are self-publications, motivated by a desire for self-expression, not for profit (Barnard Zine Library definition) and rarely are produced in large quantities. Individuals create zines in order to express their opinions, publish their research, critique societal structures, and to create and sustain a community. Zines can be handmade, photocopied, or professionally printed in small quantities.