Author Topic: Where do you get your news?  (Read 11312 times)

pipercat

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Where do you get your news?
« on: September 19, 2014, 04:42:03 PM »
I prefer to watch/hear/read as little news as possible, but I do think I should be aware of some of the events going on around me and in the world at large.  The problem is that I don't like the biases in some news sources, and I'm wondering if unbiased news is really available.

If I want to just stick to the facts (realizing that some bias will likely seep in at times), what source do you recommend?  I know it's not cable news channels!

cavewoman

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2014, 06:17:39 PM »
NPR is my go to radio station.  Even past the news it contains Radio Lab and This American Life, two shows that I absolutely love.  On cross country trips I've gone so far as to research NPR stations before leaving just so I don't have to search.

For reading news, even though it pains my dad to see it, I'll pull up Al Jazeera.  I like it particularly when I've heard the North American version of a story and I'm interested in another view.  If it's a particular story I'm looking into, I like google news, where I can see multiple stories on the same event.  Sometimes just the headline difference in a CNN vs FOX is enough for a chuckle. 

tracipam

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2014, 06:26:07 PM »
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart!

That's sadly, waaaay too true. :-)

In addition, I set my home page to the international herald tribune.  It gives a bit of a wider view, so I get to avoid a lot of the American politics that make my head hurt.

pipercat

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2014, 07:14:03 PM »
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart!

That used to be us, but we haven't had cable in years.  We do miss him and Colbert, though.

I also tend to get most of it from NPR, but I don't always care for their in-depth analyses of some topics.  Also, I listen in the car, so 15 minutes a day will really only get you a couple of news tidbits.

sheepstache

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2014, 07:51:15 PM »
Sorry to say, but I get most of my news through Facebook.  Doesn't help with bias, since most of my social circle leans the same way, and a lot of the stories are just clickbait.  But some of my friends are quite well-informed and have intelligent insights into things.  So, yeah, it feels pathetic but today was working with someone Scottish and was able to ask them how they felt about the vote.  Without facebook, would literally not have known it was happening. That would be a bit too low-information diet for me.

I guess, while that answers the literal question in the subject line, that's not actually what you were looking for, OP, sorry.

vern

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2014, 09:14:00 PM »
Drudge!

RWD

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2014, 10:34:16 PM »
I used to check news.google.com, but it was too depressing so I stopped. Now I'm left with just checking sites for my specific interests (e.g. Autoblog, Slashdot, etc.). I didn't even know Scotland was voting for independence until it was already over...

Johnez

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2014, 09:24:56 AM »
+1 for NPR. Love the weekend afternoons.

google news, and way too many blogs/forums.

The constant drumbeat of war, violent crime, and terrible tragedy keeps my TV set off. I wish there was a useful news source that just focused on discoveries, science, and random odd things going on. And local stuff.

Malaysia41

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2014, 09:30:59 AM »
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart!

That used to be us, but we haven't had cable in years.  We do miss him and Colbert, though.

I also tend to get most of it from NPR, but I don't always care for their in-depth analyses of some topics.  Also, I listen in the car, so 15 minutes a day will really only get you a couple of news tidbits.

Episodes of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are available on comedycentral.com.  You are welcome :).

Malaysia41

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2014, 09:37:43 AM »
vice.com
the economist
npr
yahoo news / google news
Stephen Colbert/Jon Stewart
foreign policy
al jazeera

trailrated

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #10 on: September 20, 2014, 09:45:17 AM »
I balance out the bias with drudge and huffpo

Malaysia41

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2014, 09:52:50 AM »
I balance out the bias with drudge and huffpo

My impression of Drudge has been that he's quick to report without verifying. Am I off on this? For the past few years I've ignored him as I've considered him unreliable and a bit of a fear-mongorer.  But I'll admit, I can't for the life of me remember what the specific story was that he botched that led me to discard him altogether.  What do you find of value with Drudge?

NinetyFour

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2014, 09:57:22 AM »
NYTimes online
my local paper online
BBC World Service (streamed)

I gave up on NPR--too cutesy, too many stories about the latest gizmos that EVERYONE has.

As a result of my low information diet, I don't recognize the names of any of the latest "pop stars" or celebs.

Johnez

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2014, 10:19:05 AM »
NYTimes online
my local paper online
BBC World Service (streamed)

I gave up on NPR--too cutesy, too many stories about the latest gizmos that EVERYONE has.

As a result of my low information diet, I don't recognize the names of any of the latest "pop stars" or celebs.

I don't listen to NPR during the day, some of the stuff is dreadful. All Things Considered, Offramp, Radiolab, Snap Judgment, The Moth Radio Hour are all worth throwing out the TV,and maybe even the laptop. Holy crap I think I'm a radio junkie!

Nyarlathotep

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2014, 01:28:27 PM »
Drudge and Reuters are where I typically go to. I have found Vice's youtube channel to be great,  I will have to check out there actual web site.

ragnathor

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2014, 08:50:32 PM »
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart!

That's sadly, waaaay too true. :-)


What is sad is the Daily Show is closer to real news than many (most?!) of the cable news shows out there. Plus it's hilarious :)

I echo many of the sources here: NPR and Google News. For Google News you can adjust ratio of some sources (i.e. I'll increase BBC and turn down Fox).

trailrated

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #16 on: September 20, 2014, 10:42:54 PM »
I balance out the bias with drudge and huffpo

My impression of Drudge has been that he's quick to report without verifying. Am I off on this? For the past few years I've ignored him as I've considered him unreliable and a bit of a fear-mongorer.  But I'll admit, I can't for the life of me remember what the specific story was that he botched that led me to discard him altogether.  What do you find of value with Drudge?

No, I have noticed that from time to time...but then again I have seen some similar things on huffpo as well (recent example was a story about gay bullying and it turned out the "mean customer comment" on the receipt was written by the person claiming they were discriminated against) I am not trying to say gay bullying does not happen, and I find it to be unacceptable but I find each site jumps at stories that support "their side" a little too eagerly. I know I have seen the same on drudge but I too am drawing a blank on exactly what it was.

To tell you the truth I think the value I see in drudge is that it collects a lot of news stories I would never seek out on my own that I find interesting. There are quite a few stories I avoid due to fear mongering etc. Either way I find the bias of each entertaining and usually find myself somewhere in the middle.


1967mama

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #17 on: September 21, 2014, 12:50:27 AM »
CNN online and my local city paper online. I'm paying $10 a month for it, and DH says its time for that to go. I have been to the website and it seems darn near impossible to unsubscribe without calling the office during business hours, Monday to Friday.

Really, I should be considering a low information diet .. the news stresses me out.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2014, 12:52:37 AM by 1967mama »

vern

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #18 on: September 21, 2014, 10:47:39 PM »
My impression of Drudge has been that he's quick to report without verifying.


agent13x

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #19 on: September 22, 2014, 01:09:16 AM »
I used to spend a lot of time on every news site out there. I used to get frustrated by politics way too often as well.

But after I read and internalized MMM's article on the Low Information Diet, I now only look at the local news and local weather. My wife says I'm way more pleasant to be around now.

Beric01

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #20 on: September 22, 2014, 01:44:10 AM »
Google news - I've set up some filters to take out some of the worthless info and increase more relevant ones. And a little bit of Yahoo news for fun to see what latest stupid articles/comments there are, though I do try to avoid it. I don't watch TV, but our work's lunchroom has one and it's always on over lunch. Always serves to remind me why I don't watch TV - it has to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Noodle

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #21 on: September 22, 2014, 11:29:11 AM »
Awhile back, on another blog I came across a reference to this daily e-newsletter: http://www.theskimm.com/.

Every week day they send you paragraph summaries of 6-7 major news stories--usually a couple of international news items, a couple of national items and then 1-2 arts/entertainment/living items. There are links if you want to know more. The tone is mildly snarky but not nearly so irreverent as, say, the Daily Show.

It is the perfect amount of information for me! I also limit news consumption, and while I had figured out ways to get local news through the RSS feeds of a couple of newspapers, I had never come up with a way to get national/international news that didn't turn into a torrent. Now I feel like I know just enough not to look like an idiot at social gatherings (and to know when something is happening that I want to follow up) without dwelling. One thing they are good at is that when there is a breaking news story with minimal facts and a lot of speculation, they will clarify what is actually confirmed vs what is rumor.

kudy

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #22 on: September 22, 2014, 11:34:04 AM »
If there's enough hubbub about something, I'll see it on twitter. I don't seek out news though, ever really.

pachnik

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #23 on: September 22, 2014, 12:41:42 PM »
I look at the CBC website, read the Vancouver Sun on Saturdays and then get 2 free local papers twice a week.  That's it! 

rugorak

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #24 on: September 22, 2014, 12:46:44 PM »
NPR on my morning and evening commutes. Daily show and Colbert online to wind down. BBC and various other specific sites via RSS feeds throughout the day. A lot of my news is field specific (IT) and kind of required to be in the loop for my job. Sure I could do it without it but I am better with it. I know MMM wrote an article a while back about a low information diet but it doesn't work for me. I just prefer to be in the loop. But I don't let a lot of the headlines freak me out like some people do.

pipercat

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #25 on: September 22, 2014, 08:06:24 PM »
I'm learning so much! I had never heard of several of these sources until this thread. I don't really care to know all the news of the world, but I want to be able to follow a conversation at work or some social gathering.

Where I live, my social and political views are not the norm and I don't like feeling like somone is trying to influence me without my consent. But I also don't want to be accused of being brainwashed by the "liberal media".  That's why I really just want the facts.

I'm going to look into some of these sources.

kudy

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #26 on: September 22, 2014, 08:38:02 PM »
I forgot, sometimes podcasts inadvertently force me to be subjected to some news. I'm still deciding if I ever want to listen to the tech news podcast "this week in tech" again... there's only so much you can hear about new gadgets before you lose your mind... yet I've always liked the show's host, Leo.

hybrid

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #27 on: September 23, 2014, 12:15:24 PM »
NPR and The Economist for national and international, Richmond Times Dispatch online for local. Nice thing about the RT-D is that I get a few emails each day from them, often with breaking news, and I can decide whether to follow the link or delete. During the Bob McDonnell trial fiasco disgrace slow-motion train wreck this was really handy.

I especially like The Economist because by the time I read their account of recent events the immediacy of the news has simmered down and their recap is balanced and thorough. They are by far my best source of news.   

NinetyFour

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #28 on: September 24, 2014, 06:33:13 AM »
I will also put plugs in for Harry Shearer's Le Show (free online--radio show) and for PBS's Washington Week (free online).

AJ

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #29 on: September 24, 2014, 11:52:46 AM »
A small piece of my soul died just now reading how many people consider Daily Show to be a source of news. It is a great show, but it is comedy. Seriously. Not, "well, I know it's comedy but..."

rugorak

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #30 on: September 26, 2014, 11:09:33 AM »
http://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2014/09/25/oliver-adds-journalism-to-his-comedy

Have you seen many of the "news" programs out there these days? Yes they go for what is funny on the Daily Show. But sometimes it takes making fun of something ludicrous that also happens to be true and news to get people to actually think. I'd rather have the Daily Show asking Rick Scott to pee in a cup, which is a legitimate news story overall, than some of the cute animal, grumpy cat, like stuff that many of the "news" shows end up doing.

Plus many of the interviews on the Daily Show in particular can get much more in depth than on the regular programs. Especially when they end up on the web and completely uncensored.

In my mind the sad part is the fact that these comedy shows have had to step up where journalism is letting us down.

AJ

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #31 on: September 26, 2014, 11:46:15 AM »
There is a big difference between adding a bit of journalism to a comedy show and adding a bit of comedy to journalism. I think people conflate these two. Many comedians reveal through their work issues of our times, but that does not mean they should be regarded as news. Heck, even movies often use their medium to highlight social and political issues, but that does not make them news.

In my own life, I run into a number of otherwise intelligent people (for some reason they are all 20-something males) who look to these shows as their source of world information and believe they are getting a basically balanced story. They see Jon Stewart as intelligent (which he certainly is) and therefore trust him to present the full story on these issues. He is not there to present a balanced perspective. Balance isn't funny. He is there to make you laugh. But I get into conversations with these folks and it becomes clear that their views have been shaped by years of imbibing Daily Show as their sole source of news. The show makes its watchers feel smart and informed, and then they don't bother looking elsewhere, thinking that they have basically the full real story.

I agree that the state of all media right now is sad. I'm less concerned about grumpy kitten stories (which only exist because most news stations have to fill a lot more than 30 minutes, like JS does) than I am with the way all the major sources deliberately spin stories to make people angry and afraid. All of them should be taken with somewhat of a grain of salt. But more than anything, everyone should be getting their information from multiple conflicting sources. If you only get your news from one side of the political spectrum, you're not getting the real story.

Malaysia41

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #32 on: September 26, 2014, 09:08:18 PM »
I like to rotate into my news consumption sips of pieces like this one from Ben Anderson: 'This is What Winning Looks Like' www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja5Q75hf6QI .

Now, I realize that vice.com can sometimes present little more than stunt journalism, e.g. a 20 something reporter flinging himself into harm's way, but many of the reporters are actual journalists who travel to conflict zones to interview people in the thick of it (vs. the flap jacketed newsmen of the big media outlets reporting from the roofs of safe hotels in some green zone).

Watching the vice.com 'Russian Roulette' dispatches opened my eyes to the complexity of the Ukraine situation - as it unfolded - and revealed how far off the mainstream narrative was from the reality on the ground. In the mainstream, the story was all about Vladimir Putin. To the Ukranians bordering Russia, it was all about the ineptitude of the government in Kiev: the lack of adequate representation, corruption, and inability to settle grievances. 

allergic2average

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #33 on: September 26, 2014, 09:22:01 PM »
I skim through digg and then go to dailygood.org for good news.  Same thing goes for newspapers, I skim headlines but then my coworkers fill me in and therefore I don't need much in terms of research.  Really don't pay attention to it much since I don't feel it affects me. I'm curious to know how long have you gone without listening, reading or watching news?

resy

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #34 on: September 29, 2014, 12:13:39 AM »
Npr

popsy13

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #35 on: September 29, 2014, 01:00:39 AM »
I prefer good websites like forbes for the news.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #36 on: October 02, 2014, 03:42:03 PM »
does anyone have a good recommendation for a news source that is conservative, but moderately so? my news consumption definitely tends towards the "moderate liberal" part of the spectrum, which is usually what my views are, so I worry that I am in too much of an echo chamber. but all the "conservative" news sources that I know of seem really angry and mean and fear-mongering... is there something that's a little more tempered?

(this is a genuine request for recommendations and I hope to not turn this into a political debate)

tracylayton

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #37 on: October 02, 2014, 07:55:07 PM »
I am embarrassed to say that I usually go to cnbc.com  If something major has happened, you can be darn sure it is affecting the stock market.

pipercat

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #38 on: October 02, 2014, 07:57:40 PM »
does anyone have a good recommendation for a news source that is conservative, but moderately so? my news consumption definitely tends towards the "moderate liberal" part of the spectrum, which is usually what my views are, so I worry that I am in too much of an echo chamber. but all the "conservative" news sources that I know of seem really angry and mean and fear-mongering... is there something that's a little more tempered?

(this is a genuine request for recommendations and I hope to not turn this into a political debate)
That's kinda sorta where I am as well.

devan 11

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #39 on: October 02, 2014, 08:26:35 PM »
  I am a news junkie.  CNN,  Economist, BBC, CNBC, Fox, Google news, AOL news, Yahoo news, Al Jazeera,  Morning Edition, All Things Considered, all get read/watched or listened to.  I don't find it depressing, but news sparks my interest of the events of the world around me.  Thoughtful deep reporting is more interesting than shallow skims to me.  Infotainment "news " of what starlet had today's wardrobe malfunction saddens me.  Political posturing is a close second.

I live in a purple state, and am a deeply purple moderate in beliefs, and optimistic and pragmatic in my outlook.

devan 11

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #40 on: October 02, 2014, 08:31:50 PM »
  Because ratings drive news stations to sensationalize their reporting, I have a huge BS filter on all news outlets.  Believe half of what you hear.  The more partisan the report, the more the BS.

EvenKeeled

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #41 on: October 02, 2014, 11:42:32 PM »
Awhile back, on another blog I came across a reference to this daily e-newsletter: http://www.theskimm.com/.

Every week day they send you paragraph summaries of 6-7 major news stories--usually a couple of international news items, a couple of national items and then 1-2 arts/entertainment/living items. There are links if you want to know more. The tone is mildly snarky but not nearly so irreverent as, say, the Daily Show.

It is the perfect amount of information for me! I also limit news consumption, and while I had figured out ways to get local news through the RSS feeds of a couple of newspapers, I had never come up with a way to get national/international news that didn't turn into a torrent. Now I feel like I know just enough not to look like an idiot at social gatherings (and to know when something is happening that I want to follow up) without dwelling. One thing they are good at is that when there is a breaking news story with minimal facts and a lot of speculation, they will clarify what is actually confirmed vs what is rumor.
I just signed up for The Skimm and am looking forward to it!

For the last couple months (even before finding MMM), after coming home from a backpacking trip and not wanting to fill my head with noise, I had stopped listening to NPR for hours a day .

Then I read MMM's post about a low info diet and felt even better about my new non-habit. But I did sort of want to hear about a few of the biggest things going on. The Skimm sounds just right. Thank you!

Elderwood17

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Re: Where do you get your news?
« Reply #42 on: October 04, 2014, 07:46:57 PM »
  Because ratings drive news stations to sensationalize their reporting, I have a huge BS filter on all news outlets.  Believe half of what you hear.  The more partisan the report, the more the BS.

Agree.  I will skim USA Today online to see what the headlines are and how the market is doing, then listen to NPR on the ride home. I tend to stay on the low information diet, but once upon a time I kept up with all current affairs as if it were a sacred duty.