• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Where do you turn for news?

Motokid

Motokid

New Member
I understand why my last post was locked. My apologies. It came from the thought that
it seems like it’s becoming more and more difficult to get unbiased news about world events.

Maybe I could ask forum members what news source they turn to for information?
What organization appears to present the facts in a straightforward, unbiased, non-politically slanted manner?
 
Motokid said:
I understand why my last post was locked. My apologies. It came from the thought that
it seems like it’s becoming more and more difficult to get unbiased news about world events.

Maybe I could ask forum members what news source they turn to for information?
What organization appears to present the facts in a straightforward, unbiased, non-politically slanted manner?
Click to expand...

i don't really think that you will find something like that, because every newspaper and other media have an opinion to the current events, the only thing you can do, is make up your mind what opinion you have and read or watch (or whatever) the news that fit with your opinion!! i normally like the GERMAN JOURNAL, news with international themes!! it's sended in the USA pretty late!!
bye
P.S. nice question!!! :)
 
Hi MotoKid, glad you understand why the thread had to be closed down :)

Anyway, moving on.

For news I find the best and largest organisation is Alternet It's a very large non-profit news organisation. Being non-profit they are not controlled by the mainstream media and or big business. They are very good. Quality of reporting is excellent. they are very passionate about what they do. Last year one of their reporters was killed in the Israel while reporting there.

Another good one is Independant media centre

Both these sites bring you unbiased news reporting but also and more importantly the things you don't hear about from the mainstream news. Many important issues are over looked because they are not juicy enough, conflict with the vested interests, or they are too hot to handle.
 
Good question, and a good topic for a thread, too, as I have been growing tired of mainstream news and have been looking for alternatives.

I received a subscription to a magazine called The Week (www.theweekmagazine.com) and even though it's relatively small (about 40 pages), it's concise and offers viewpoints from multiple sides.
From reading two issues so far, it seems to present a story from the week and pull opinions from different columns and news reports, from conservative to liberal, national to global newspapers and magazines. I've found it to be a very balanced report of what's going on in the world.
 
I mostly use a danish news site or google news, but I don't really read the news very often and my faith in them telling the complete thruth is very small.

I don't really think there is such a thing as unbiased news, even if a person wants to be unbiased its impossible. Its just not possible not to put your own personal spin on things when you write it. Your culture, language and upbringing would effect the way you see the world, and therby the way you write it.
 
in canada there is a "news" program called monday night report. it is a mock news show, however reporting real events, in a hilarious, sarcastic manner. rick mercer is the host and you can check out his website at cbc.ca monday night report. sorry being computer illit, i don't know how to post a link, i'll try when my hubby comes home.
anyway, any canadians out there can vouch for me, it's a riot, but truthful. also i read the globe and mail.
 
I listen to News Radio which also has MPR News from the US, Radio Deutschland, etc. Good for international and national stuff but I am still unable to talk to people about what I listen to because there isn't much crap on there. No Leyton Hewitt love life stuff or how Kylie Minogue had a spy cam in her living room... I don't like sensationalist journalism.
 
Motokid said:
I understand why my last post was locked.
Click to expand...

To answer it then, I think that America should open up and become aware of the world - not just wander around plundering it. There's too much ignorance and overzealous flag waving. I know this is a general swipe at the nation but I am aware that there are those happy to flag wave while still being dismissive of their nation - patriots I admire, as opposed to those who think that shooting people, supporting Bush, and know nothing of the world or other customs (I think they kick shit for fun back on the farm!) is patriotism. Poor misguided souls.

Anyway, I use the BBC World Service. They are not allowed to be biased.
 
Stewart said:
To answer it then, I think that America should open up and become aware of the world - not just wander around plundering it. There's too much ignorance and overzealous flag waving. I know this is a general swipe at the nation but I am aware that there are those happy to flag wave while still being dismissive of their nation - patriots I admire, as opposed to those who think that shooting people, supporting Bush, and know nothing of the world or other customs (I think they kick shit for fun back on the farm!) is patriotism. Poor misguided souls.
Click to expand...
see, already you're dividing yourself against other people, which is exactly what you're criticizing the U.S. of doing. I think regardless of whose fault it is, we're all responsible for what's going on in the world.
 
Stewart said:
To answer it then, I think that America should open up and become aware of the world - not just wander around plundering it. There's too much ignorance and overzealous flag waving. I know this is a general swipe at the nation but I am aware that there are those happy to flag wave while still being dismissive of their nation - patriots I admire, as opposed to those who think that shooting people, supporting Bush, and know nothing of the world or other customs (I think they kick shit for fun back on the farm!) is patriotism. Poor misguided souls.

Anyway, I use the BBC World Service. They are not allowed to be biased.
Click to expand...


Stewart,

In my long and varied experience I've learned how true this frame of mind is for the large large majority of the world's citizens. They don't know about other places, and they don't mind. They are perfectly happy to wave their own flags and remain ignorant. It is certainly not a mindset confined to US borders.

Ask the average resident of Tours, Hull, Milan, etc. what is happening in the world, vis a vis conflicts, policy and leadership, and you will find a whole lot of apathy and ignorance.

I hate news. If it's bad enough, it finds me; I don't have to go looking for it. My main objection to it is that 90% of what is put forth as "news" is village gossip on a larger scale. I have no network TV in my house. At 6 in the morning I hear the BBC world service in the car (far from unbiased, but their diction and geographic coverage are fine), then National Public Radio, which is the US equivalent. Even in selecting what stories to air, there is bias.

But if you take any newspaper, tv news broadcast and separate the news of consequence from the speculation and gossip and celebrity-oriented bull and the human-interest fillers, and you've got almost nothing left. It's a total waste of time.

I can go weeks without seeking out any news, but yet I know what's going on as well as the "news junkies" who take in hours of so-called news. My personal experience of "news junkies" is that they have replaced traditional village life with a fascination with TV and tabloid speculation and opinion. They're sure not seeking out the latest political developments in Manchuria.
 
I don't think you're going to find any news agency that ISN'T biased, no matter where you go. For myself, I like IWN (International World News) on cable. It's based out of Canada. It's 24 hour coverage, and gets rotating local news from all over the world, so you can go from Canada's "The National" news, to German Journal, straight to Asian Report, for all the local sumo standings! LOL! At least with the local reports, I'm learning more about business transactions in India, gang warfare in Haiti and how Japan is using technology to save the dying art of laquerware. Sure, the world news is somewhat biased based on their country's viewpoint, but I wouldn't have known ANYTHING about the local stuff otherwise. And, in reality, it's the trivial stuff that keeps us connected as humans. Knowing that the old women in a small Polish town famous for their lacemaking are surviving by making lace *thongs* for Victoria's Secret international is weird ( :rolleyes: ), but they're *surviving,* so to me it has value, because they've figured out a way to pay the bills.

That's what all of us are trying to do, after all. Pay the bills and get by the world.
 
o.k. I'll submit that "unbiased" is an impossible thing to find. Not surprised.

Maybe I'll rephrase the question to asking if there's a news source that you feel presents both sides of any particular issue better than the others.

I tend to scan CNN, MSN, MSNBC, FOXNEWS, and now thanks to wabbit Alternet, plus the local newspaper in an attempt to get different versions of stories. I also check in with...gulp...conservative talk radio..and I listen to George Noory on coast-to-caost every morning on the drive into work.

My preference is to hear both sides (no matter how rediculous and painful to listen to) of an issue then make up my own mind. (common sence)
But finding both sides is tough sometimes.
 
The goal of Alternet and Indymedia seem to be biase to counter what they consider the most common biase.
 
SillyWabbit said:
For news I find the best and largest organisation is Alternet It's a very large non-profit news organisation. Being non-profit they are not controlled by the mainstream media and or big business. They are very good. Quality of reporting is excellent.
Click to expand...

The Alternet site is all opinion, not news. Further, more than half of the editorials they reprint from other sources.

This is not a news site. It's a wholly upfront biased editorial page. Makes no attempt to even disguise the fact.

Bunnyman, I'm not picking on you. I just looked at that site and couldn't find any news at all.
 
bobbyburns said:
see, already you're dividing yourself against other people, which is exactly what you're criticizing the U.S. of doing. I think regardless of whose fault it is, we're all responsible for what's going on in the world.
Click to expand...
Well said, Bobby B. One day maybe you and I can write a book called Us vs. Them: The Human Story. :D Sorry! I know that's off topic. I had to give Bobby a high five.

I'm boring. I use CNN HLN, CNN's international site and bbc's site.
 
Can somebody PUUUUULLLLLEEEASSEE point me to a news source on the internet that is not making the death of the pope such a major friggin’ deal? I am so tired of all the press. My Sunday paper had a “special section” devoted to him, plus of coarse the entire front page, and even an article in the sports section about him and his love for hiking….aaaagggghhhhhh. He’s plastered all over CNN, FOXnews, ABCnews, the local newspaper, and the local TV stations like he’s GOD himself. I’m sick of seeing people crying who’ve never even been within 5000 miles of him. It’s crazy.

POPE DEATH overload…. I just can’t stand it all.

Please give me a news source I can go to that I won’t immediately shut off. Please?
 
I'm a FOXNews girl. They seem the least slanted to me, of all the major networks, though many people will say they actually slant more right. Everytime I've tuned in, I see both sides of the issues being presented and I particularly like the guys on Fox & Friends in the morning. They're always fun to watch as I'm getting ready for work.

And Motokid...nothing wrong with conservative talk radio. Despite what people may say, not all conservatives are "evil." *grins* I just happen to listen to the one who's proudly evil...Glenn Beck. I drive a lot in my job and I love listening to his show while I'm on the road. It cracks me up. He's very in your face and highly opinionated, though, so I try to balance it out and see what I agree with and disagree with by then going to the other news sources. I'll listen to my local news, go on MSN online, things like that. But I don't know...I just seem to "enjoy" watching FOX News most.

As with the death of any major person, I can understand why the news are tackling the Pope's death. Why not just turn OFF the news?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top