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-   -   Truthiness In News (http://www.politicalchat.org/showthread.php?t=7248)

bobabode 04-12-2014 06:23 PM

Truthiness In News
 
With a nod to Stephen Colbert. ;) How do you gauge the validity of the news that you read? Is it the number of awards, such as Pulitzer Prizes?

I'm a fan of the Washington Post, going back to dimly remembered glory days of Deep Throat and the fine reporting on the worst president this country ever had. The Pentagon Papers was another scoop of epic proportions. I also read the LA Times for local, state, national and international news.

finnbow 04-12-2014 07:05 PM

I read the WashPost daily and feel lucky to have such a good hometown paper. Not only is their political reporting among the best (if not the best), but their sports and style sections are also very good (though noticeably not as good as a few years back when they downsized operations). The LA Times is similar in terms of editorial style, format and slant (somewhat left of center on their editorial page), though not as good.;)

I've tired of the NYTimes, with the exception of a few writers (Friedman for Mideast stuff and perhaps even Maureen Dowd for sometimes being able to turn an interesting phrase). The WSJournal's writing and tone has diminished since Murdoch took over. Their op-ed page is steadfastly conservative, but has become boringly predictable just like the Times.

I also like Politico and The Economist. On TV, I can only stomach PBS, BBC or Al Jazeera America. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC (other than Morning Joe while riding my exercise bike) are dreadfully bad infotainment.

bhunter 04-12-2014 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobabode (Post 209491)
With a nod to Stephen Colbert. ;) How do you gauge the validity of the news that you read? Is it the number of awards, such as Pulitzer Prizes?

I'm a fan of the Washington Post, going back to dimly remembered glory days of Deep Throat and the fine reporting on the worst president this country ever had. The Pentagon Papers was another scoop of epic proportions. I also read the LA Times for local, state, national and international news.

Nullies In Verba! I read both left and right media, but have yet to find anything, including hard science academic journals, that do not have an agenda of some sort. Currently I read Science, SF Chronical, WSJ, WaPo, The Economist, The Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Stratfor, and Forbes.

I think The Economist and CS Monitor have the best articles on general politics and world events. The SF Chronical has morphed into a photo album.

icenine 04-12-2014 11:06 PM

I listen to BBC World Service on my 50 mile commute to San Diego, then a bit to Chuck Todd although he is completely softball with the GOP guests he has on. That is in the AM then in the afternoon I listen to MSNBC. I try to read some of the LA times at work if I get my War and Peace quota for the day completed in between patients.

If you want to hear how bad off Africa is in general and in-depth coverage of the Ukraine it is hard to beat the BBC.

BlueStreak 04-12-2014 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhunter (Post 209498)
Nullies In Verba! I read both left and right media, but have yet to find anything, including hard science academic journals, that do not have an agenda of some sort. Currently I read Science, SF Chronical, WSJ, WaPo, The Economist, The Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Stratfor, and Forbes.

I think The Economist and CS Monitor have the best articles on general politics and world events. The SF Chronical has morphed into a photo album.

Could it be that you, as I fear I have, become distracted with LOOKING for the "agenda" in everything you read, hear or watch?

I rarely watch t.v. anymore. And when I do it's usually a movie. No "news". I read articles from a number of US and foreign news and financial news outlets on the internet. I listen mostly to NPR and BBC world on the radio for "news", I do occasionally dip into EIB to see what kind of propaganda the Fascists are spouting on a given day, but 99% of the time I'm listening to music.

Dave

bhunter 04-13-2014 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueStreak (Post 209527)
Could it be that you, as I fear I have, become distracted with LOOKING for the "agenda" in everything you read, hear or watch?

Dave

That's an astute observation and, to an extent, correct. I've worked for years looking for and finding problems. Hence, I approach most any endeavor looking for the worst case scenario. I work from an assumption that there is a deterministic causal link behind every action; and that, in the case of government, usually a nefarious motive. In the case of business, we all know, or should know, what their motive is.

merrylander 04-13-2014 06:25 AM

Having done editing for McGraw Hill and Prentice Hall I skim the Wash Post in the morning. Watch WJZ in th evening for local news then BBC and the Newshour. By this time I am usally so despondent with the world that the rest of the time we watch British comedy on WETA.

BlueStreak 04-13-2014 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhunter (Post 209537)
That's an astute observation and, to an extent, correct. I've worked for years looking for and finding problems. Hence, I approach most any endeavor looking for the worst case scenario. I work from an assumption that there is a deterministic causal link behind every action; and that, in the case of government, usually a nefarious motive. In the case of business, we all know, or should know, what their motive is.

Selfish greed?;)

Dave

merrylander 04-13-2014 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueStreak (Post 209555)
Selfish greed?;)

Dave

Yep, exactly that.

Ike Bana 04-13-2014 08:21 AM

Balanced sources only for me. Mother Jones and the Utne Reader.


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