What to believe

[abcgrad94]

On a thread in the politics section, a poster basically said we can't believe the mainstream news, yet this poster has put up a link to an alternative "tin-foil hat" style site.

Here's my question. What are we to believe as truth when it comes to the news? One person says Fox news has the truth. Another person says ABC or CBS or are truthful. Another claims the Wold Nut Daily or whatever it is, "exposes" the real truth. Then you have really crazy "news" from the tabloids or folks who believe all news is driven by government conspiracies. Are all "news" sources, both conservative and liberal, pointless now? Can we believe anything?

 

[Arbo]

I think it's best to keep in mind what the agenda driving the news source is when accessing it, because there is no such thing as objective journalism.

I look both left and right for news, and figure that what is accurate and truthful is in between them somewhere. I do stay away from blogs and "alternative" sources (Alex Jones types). Many that I have come across seem to be run by those with a more-than-normal bias and nutjobs.

 

[Don]

Like Arbo, I look at multiple sources both "conservative" and liberal. I stay away from opinion pieces.

 

[preachinjesus]

I think we've got more of a truly free press in the past 15 years than for the previous 150 of our country.

There are some outlets I don't trust, others I am more inclined to trust. One of the challenging things which I've developed over the past couple of years is discerning spin for spin's sake.

Another thing which I've done for a while now is to read international news agencies over domestic ones. The American media is terrible, simply terrible. They spend countless hours discussing the mundane details of some tragically inept starlet when major stories are breaking and people are dying. Its insanity to try to make sense of that.

In general, I follow these news sites (it'll be a mix)
Reuters
AP
CNN (International)
NPR
Financial Times (a very good source of news)
BBC
Al Jazeera
Washington Times
Washington Post
my city news source
DrudgeReport (he gets stuff days before other folks)
various twitter feeds

Honestly, twitter is a major source of news throughout the day. I have it on a monitor in my office constantly scrolling through the updates.

One of the habits I developed while at Liberty U in my undergrad days was on the way to breakfast I would stop at the newsstand in front of the main academic building and buy a Washington Post ($.50) and a Washington Times ($.25) and read them over breakfast. I learned a lot about journalism. I also got the NYTimes delivered but usually wouldn't get that until after lunch (the post office never opened till then.)

Finally, I DO NOT watch any television news...period. Its all drivel. Its all nonsense. Its all pointless. (I am rather emphatic about this) If I watch any "news" its ESPN. I just don't care for the 24-hour news cycle and find it full of blather. Even ESPN is grating at times.

So, yes, I do believe segments of the news media can be trusted. I think we need to be careful about how we consume news media. Anyhoo...hope that helps.

 

[InTheLight]

I get my news from a variety of sources using several apps on my smartphone. Like preachinjesus I rarely watch TV news. I agree with his statement that if you want to get REAL NEWS instead of news about Kim Kardashian's hangnail you have to go outside the U.S., or read the NY Times, but the NYT is an expensive subscription service now so I don't read it anymore. I also use Twitter, though sparingly, and mostly for sports info. Also have Google News and Google Reader set up on my PC. Google Reader is fabulous but it's being phased out July 1st. Feedly picking up the slack--I suppose I'll have to get used to its format.

For smartphone apps I like Republic News, Google Currents, and Flipboard (in that order.) I had Pulse but it kept freezing so I deleted it. These apps allow the user to custom set the newsfeeds and as such I have:

Left
Huffington Post (seems to not allow deletion from the news feeds, I've tried.)
Democrat Party (official feed)

Left-Leaning
Washington Post
Los Angeles Times
The Independent (UK) left-leaning but pro-capitalist

Neutral (as neutral as can be, I suppose)
AP
BBC (really, it is neutral, well mostly.)
Reuters


Right-Leaning
Washington Times
Wall Street Journal

Right
Republican Party (official feed)
The Blaze (kind of a curiosity, like watching a train wreck. Counterbalance to Huff Post.)

 

[Crabtownboy]

On a thread in the politics section, a poster basically said we can't believe the mainstream news, yet this poster has put up a link to an alternative "tin-foil hat" style site.

Here's my question. What are we to believe as truth when it comes to the news? One person says Fox news has the truth. Another person says ABC or CBS or are truthful. Another claims the Wold Nut Daily or whatever it is, "exposes" the real truth. Then you have really crazy "news" from the tabloids or folks who believe all news is driven by government conspiracies. Are all "news" sources, both conservative and liberal, pointless now? Can we believe anything?

Many here say they do not trust the main stream media. I believe the primary reason is because the main stream media doe not publish inflammatory articles of those folk's political persuasion.

My advice is:

• Check a number of media outlets.
• Stay away from those with obvious way out, far out, fringe leanings. They will never tell the truth.
• Check some foreigh sources like BBC; The Guardian; the London Times, etc.
• I gave up on ABC, NBC, CBS, etc., i.e. commercial TV a number of years ago. Seemed they devoted more time to commercials than to news.
• Kind of the same with Fox. Also Fox has a well known bias, so read anything there with a grain of salt.
• I do like the PBS News Hour. They devote an hour, commercial free, to the news and have people from both sides discuss issues.
• And love them or hate them sometimes the best analysis comes from folk like the Colbert Report and the Daily Show. Sure, they will make you made at times, make you laugh at times ... but both guy are very sharp. Jon Stewart made Bill O'Reilly look really stupid when Bill thought he had him when Stewart was on the O'Reilly factor some time ago.
  
  http://www.uproxx.com/news/2011/05/...ok-foolish-in-debate-over-common-controversy/

 

[preachinjesus]

Many here say they do not trust the main stream media. I believe the primary reason is because the main stream media doe not publish inflammatory articles of those folk's political persuasion. [/LIST]

Well, I would disagree slightly. The mainstream media has shown its utter inability to cover issues completely.

Case study: Kermit Gosnell

Now, seriously, explain that away. It seems cut and dry.

I do agree with you, Crabby, that there is a lack of sensationalism towards conservative position in the mainstream. Probably because a lot of those positions are kinda looney themselves.

Of course this cuts both ways. I've not seen a lot of coverage on the insane blocking the House and Senate Republicans have been doing for the past 4 years, not to mention a complete lack of coverage of their hypocrisy for not allowing judicial appointments which they complained about in the previous 8 years.

Maybe the biggest issue I have with the America media establishment is how they've a) completely let the perpetrators of the recession completely off the hook without significant scrutiny and b) are far more worried with women white women and the sexualization of them than anything else.

Nuff said for now...your advice is good btw. :thumbsup:

 

[poncho]

On a thread in the politics section, a poster basically said we can't believe the mainstream news, yet this poster has put up a link to an alternative "tin-foil hat" style site.

Here's my question. What are we to believe as truth when it comes to the news? One person says Fox news has the truth. Another person says ABC or CBS or are truthful. Another claims the Wold Nut Daily or whatever it is, "exposes" the real truth. Then you have really crazy "news" from the tabloids or folks who believe all news is driven by government conspiracies. Are all "news" sources, both conservative and liberal, pointless now? Can we believe anything?

Tin foil hat sites, world nut daily? Where'd you learn that lingo? From the mainstream corporate owned and controlled media? You ever wonder why General Electric (NBC) one of the world's largest miliatry contractors doesn't want you to look at tinfoil hat sites?

Ever wonder why one of the world's military contractors would want own over 50% of one of just six media outlests?

Ever wonder why there is only six yep count em major media outlets?

 

[Arbo]

CT websites like Infowars are themselves responsible for their nutcase-fringe reputations because they know their base audience..

 

[poncho]

CT websites like Infowars are themselves responsible for their nutcase-fringe reputations because they know their base audience..

Ever wonder why the mainstream corporate media is losing it's viewers to the alternative media in droves?

 

[Arbo]

Ever wonder why the mainstream corporate media is losing it's viewers to the alternative media in droves?

Are you suggesting that Infowars is growing into a major news source?

 

[poncho]

Are you suggesting that Infowars is growing into a major news source?

I'm saying that people are abandoning the consolidated corporate media in favor of the alternative media. And here's just one example why . . .

http://m.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/05/nancy-grace-ashleigh-banfield-cnn-parking-lot/64965/

What do you suppose Nancy Grace would call the Atlantic Wire? A credible news source or a tin foil hat site?

Do you suppose people like adcgrad would be asking "what to believe" if they weren't losing faith in the corporate mass media?

http://www.globalresearch.ca/cnn-lo...continues-as-alternative-media-explodes/30068

Here's an article from Global Research that attempts to explain the mass Exodus from the mass corporate media.

Do you think GE (NBC) or CNN would label GR as a credible source of information or a "tin foil hat site"?

 

[poncho]

Double post.

 

[poncho]

What's up Arbo? Run out of rude childish remarks or does the sight of a few facts scare ya?

 

[abcgrad94]

Do you suppose people like adcgrad would be asking "what to believe" if they weren't losing faith in the corporate mass media?

I've never had much faith in the corporate mass media. My question is, what makes you so positively SURE your source is any better? What's the proof? We could argue all day that one news source is "good" and another "bad," but unless we witnessed an event with our own eyes, we really don't know who to trust.

I've seen enough of Alex Jones' "news" to know he's a sensationalist just like the MSM. He's at one far end, the MSM is at the other. Seems to me, neither are credible. The MSM is so biased against conservatives, and for Obama, it's glaringly obvious.

My opinion is the elites are using BOTH ends of the media to try to control us, to install fear and paranoia, to distract us from the real issues, etc.

 

[poncho]

I've never had much faith in the corporate mass media. My question is, what makes you so positively SURE your source is any better? What's the proof? We could argue all day that one news source is "good" and another "bad," but unless we witnessed an event with our own eyes, we really don't know who to trust.

I've seen enough of Alex Jones' "news" to know he's a sensationalist just like the MSM. He's at one far end, the MSM is at the other. Seems to me, neither are credible. The MSM is so biased against conservatives, and for Obama, it's glaringly obvious.

My opinion is the elites are using BOTH ends of the media to try to control us, to install fear and paranoia, to distract us from the real issues, etc.

Great post! Right now I'm reading this on my cell phone. My eyes aren't what they used to be and thumb typing is a skill I've yet to master. I'll get back to you in a couple hrs when I can use my desktop.

 

[preacher4truth]

abcgrad...

I believe we become entangled in the affairs of this world as per Paul to Timothy.

- Blessings

 

[Arbo]

I'm saying that people are abandoning the consolidated corporate media in favor of the alternative media. And here's just one example why . . .

http://m.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/05/nancy-grace-ashleigh-banfield-cnn-parking-lot/64965/

What do you suppose Nancy Grace would call the Atlantic Wire? A credible news source or a tin foil hat site?

Do you suppose people like adcgrad would be asking "what to believe" if they weren't losing faith in the corporate mass media?

CNN is one step away from becoming its own caricature.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/cnn-lo...continues-as-alternative-media-explodes/30068

Here's an article from Global Research that attempts to explain the mass Exodus from the mass corporate media.

Do you think GE (NBC) or CNN would label GR as a credible source of information or a "tin foil hat site"?

Globalresearch.ca is a wingnut website. Do a search on its founder, Michel Chossudovsky, and you will find that he is heavily into CTs. The website seems to reflect this. So, to answer your question if I think NBC or CNN would consider it credible, no. But then neither would I.

 

[poncho]

I've never had much faith in the corporate mass media. My question is, what makes you so positively SURE your source is any better? What's the proof?

I don't know if I'd call my many sources better. But I'll tell you how I pick them. I have a top secret formula handed down through my family for generations.

Control vs Empowerment. Here's how it works. Choose between these two posts.

A and B

One is seeking to gain control the other is seeking to empower. The one that is seeking control is probably bad, the one seeking to empower is probably ok unless being controlled is your thing. Make a list of probably ok sources. This test isn't perfect but it narrows the field by rejecting all the "distractions of the factions" (attack, distract and smear). Then do some light to moderate google detective work and check further into the sources you put on your probably ok list until you are sure you can trust them. If the sources on your probably ok list starts to seek control put it in your trash.

There is no proof there is only you making a choice between being controlled or being empowered.

 

[saturneptune]

is a skill I've yet to master. I'll get back to you in a couple hrs when I can use my desktop.

You have many of them.