It provides services to many generally liberal or progressive weekly newspapers across the United States and in Canada.

AAN also operates AltWeeklies.com — a web portal that highlights the best news stories, features, arts criticism, and political commentary from its member newspapers.

The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies was founded in 1978 in Seattle, Washington, with 30 newspapers from America's largest cities.

In July 2011, the organization's name was changed to the Association of Alternative Newsmedia by a vote of members attending the group's annual meeting.

[3] The association is made up of 131 newspapers which are published in 42 states, Washington D.C., and four Canadian provinces.