I've spent the past couple of hours researching this in the regs and
newsgroups... and am still a little confused

If I require an alternate airport for a IFR Flight plan, does that alternate
have to have official weather reporting? I read somewhere that:

"The requirements for an airport to qualify for alternate minimums are
weather reporting and approach facility (navaid) monitoring"

But I also read that I can file an alternate with no approaches and no
weather reporting as long as I can descend under Basic VFR from the MEA to
the airport (Part 91).

What gives?