Reliable News Sources

CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod
edited February 2025 in General

This is a very personal list of news sources that I use/have used at least weekly. Some I've not looked at for years so I my be out of date, but at one time or another these were the places I've found most reliable.

The best sources are of course primary: read the actual press release or government statement itself.

I never use social media for news, other than a handful of YouTube channels on Ukraine which I cross-checked extensively. If it's on social media, it's almost certainly propaganda: or a sales pitch at the very best. In news and information terms social media is primarily a misinformation channel for bad actors of all kinds.

Mainstream British TV and radio news is reliable because even independent commercial channels have a statuory obligation to be balanced, and it is enforced.

BBC
ITV
Channel 4
Sky

The most reliable British newspaper by far is the Financial Times, but the Times, Guardian and Telegraph have their uses providing you remember, very consciously, their respective well-known bias.

Elsewhere, in no particular order .....
Associated Press
Reuters
Le Figaro
Les Echos
Kyiv Independent
Jerusalem Post
Straits Times
The Times of India, and sometimes the Hindu
International Herald Tribune

There was a time when I looked at most of these every week, but to be fair that was largely job-related. Most larger countries have at least one English-language paper.

Since I was a teenager I have always looked at international news. I think everybody should, we all need an external perspective.

On a lighter note ....


Who reads the papers? - Yes, Prime Minister - BBC comedy

Edited to follow forum guidelines. (Don't worry, you didn't miss anything worth reading.)

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Comments

  • SideonSideon

    @CuddleDuncan - please edit your post if you can. It's political - that's against forum rules. And it's been flagged.

    If you cannot edit it, let me know, or send me the new APOLITICAL content, and I will repost for you.

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod
    edited February 2025

    Messaging you now @Sideon

    Edit: OP edited

    Thank you - Carry on, @CuddleDuncan .

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    I have a paid subscription to Ground News which is a news aggregator. For any given story in the news, they will show you which news sites are covering the story and they will show you the actual headline from each news site so you can see how they are approaching the story.

    Ground News also gives you links to all the stories on all the sites so you can go read the article for yourself and compare how different news sites describe the events in the story. The only downside is some of the links hit a paywall so you have to have a subscription to read the stories on some sites.

    As for actual news sites, I have paid subscriptions to Forbes, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Epoch Times.

    I also occasionally read, but do not subscribe to, Financial Times, Daily Mail, Guardian, Telegraph, and The Intercept.

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    @CuddleDuncan

    Since I was a teenager I have always looked at international news. I think everybody should.

    When I was in my mid 20s, I lived in Western New York for a year and had my first experience with international news. My cable company carried all the major U.S. channels so I could see ABC, NBC, and CBS News. They also carried a couple channels out of Toronto.

    There was a lot of news coming out of the Middle East during that time and I remember watching American network news then switching channels and watching how Canadian network news covered the same stories. It was a real eye opener.

  • notmymichaelnotmymichael

    There are differences in credibility within media orgs as well. For example, the CNN website is more reliable than its network news counterpart. (This is often true about network news in general— more commentary than fact-reporting, sensationalism, etc.)

    Associated Press & Reuters seem to be the most consistent when providing non-partisan reporting and analysis (but I’d personally recommend always checking primary sources when reading a story that’s either breaking news or about contentious issue— if you have the luxury of time.)

    The Ad Fontes media bias chart is imperfect, but I think it’s a really good starting point. My favorite part is that it has an axis measuring accuracy/reliability, so you could at the very least learn which news outlets are pushing mis/disinformation.

    The News Literacy Project is an excellent resource to have on hand (on your browser tabs, social media feeds, etc), because they actually share practices that empower us to be better news consumers. So even if our favored, usually accurate, news outlet is covering something in a way that appeals to our personal biases, we can be equipped to sniff out little red flags.

    https://newslit.org/for-everyone/

    It’s news literacy week, by the way. 🙂 Not sure if that’s what inspired your post or if it’s just a coincidence.

  • [Deleted User]WriterGF (deleted user)

    When I was younger, you got a lot from the news anchors vibe. If Peter Jennings looked worried, then you worried.

  • JubalJubal
    edited February 2025

    @CuddleDuncan I generally get my news from Marketwatch, but do sometimes watch BBC when I want a non-US perspective. While BBC certainly has some biases, I'd still glady depend on it for reliable news reporting.

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    Has the site turned poitical...I thought there was one sanctuary left

  • lovingspoonfulllovingspoonfull

    I’d say the desire for unbiased news isn’t political.

    I will be looking into some of the options mentioned here.

    I will say that I don’t believe journalism is flourishing. I believe editorialism and infotainment is flourishing.

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    @lovingspoonfull

    I’d say the desire for unbiased news isn’t political

    I agree. I think people are looking for simple honesty more than anything whether it is news or product endorsements. I have lived without live TV for over a decade and even though I have it now (living in a hotel for the foreseeable future) I still don’t watch it.

    When I have time to watch something it is usually a couple of YouTube channels I enjoy. However, there was recently a MAJOR scandal that has generated a class action lawsuit. A large number of YouTubers were promoting a browser extension called “Honey” which is owned by PayPal.

    To put it simply, Honey is a complete ripoff and it cheats both the end user as well as the YouTubers who promoted it. It is a long story so if anyone is interested just do a search for “Honey Browser Extension Scam”. The bottom line is all those “influencers” lost credibility because they were talking up a scam that financially hurt the people who trusted their recommendation.

    The desire for honest / unbiased news / recommendations is pretty universal.

  • CaramelNotesCaramelNotes

    CNN

  • xandriarainxandriarain

    For non network news Lisa Remillard also known as The News Girl on some platforms is very unbiased https://youtube.com/@lisaremillardofficial?si=xIuhSZVjuoa1Kebl

    However generally she posts about one video a day on one topic so she will not have the same broad coverage that a big news network would have.

  • brownglucosebrownglucose

    Robert Evans of the “Behind the Bastards” podcast is my favorite journalist. He’s covered numerous wars on the ground as an investigative journalist and has the sort sarcastic wit that would make even the snarkiest of teens blush.

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972
    edited February 2025

    @CuddleDuncan
    One more thought on international news…
    Approximately 90% of U.S. media is owned by just 6 corporations (Comcast, Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Sony, annd Amazon). These 6 companies own television networks (including news networks), movie studios, book publishers, newspapers, radio networks, and distribution channels.

    With such high concentration of media ownership, I think it is a good idea for everyone to look for some independent and/or international sources to supplement the news they read / hear / watch from these 6 companies.

    https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/communication/media-stocks/big-6/

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne
    edited February 2025

    .

  • 1984joe1984joe

    I flagged it too. Bbc and the others are paid by the government and it's not trustworthy. This guy probably thinks that npr or pbs is not bias.

  • Ironman294Ironman294

    Legacy/Establishment/Mainstream media is unreliable and not reliable.
    But read it all, right/left/middle and sort it out for yourself.
    Try the free press that’s Barri Weiss’ she’s pretty center.
    Try the substances of Mike Taibbi, Michael Schellenberger,
    Tim Pool’s podcast (he discusses news from articles of all ideologies)

  • cde123cde123

    If people realized that most news in the USA is coming straight out of New York City and is about as connected to their reality as some city slicker in a suit at their local bar, we'd all be better off.

  • Midnight01Midnight01

    LOL, you guys are hilarious... I'd rather listen to Alex Jones.. at least he's entertaining.

  • [Deleted User]CharlesGrove (deleted user)

    No one wants the truth.

    Everyone wants an audience, and validation.

    Our current culture cannot survive if truth is required.

  • KuddlyKoalaKuddlyKoala

    Every source does propaganda. You just need to choose which type of propaganda aligns with your values the most.

    Propaganda is not the equivalent of lies or twisted truths, we just have a lot of corrupt media, so we associate propaganda with malice.

    Consume carefully fam.

  • Ironman294Ironman294

    As long as the news tells you their bias that’s fine I don’t like when newspapers or news channels pretend to not be ideological when they clearly are

  • IronicMaidenIronicMaiden

    Also entertainment channels masquerading as news channels.

  • RapidCuddlesRapidCuddles

    @IronLemon a favorite on the “entertainment” is FoxNews.

    It’s always stood out to me they are “value” based. Years ago I would go to their website to get my news. Lots of trashy ads that contradicted their “values”.

    Makes me a little disappointed. But are we all a little two faced?

  • IronicMaidenIronicMaiden

    @RapidCuddles You give Fox too much credit. Deliberately peddling lies (which "no one in their right mind would believe", as they argued) is much more than being a little two-faced.

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne

    @RapidCuddles
    Seems like you’re a reincarnated past member. I could be wrong of course.

  • RapidCuddlesRapidCuddles
    edited February 2025

    @IronLemon I’m of the opinion they all push lies. I won’t get into that to avoid being political.

    Journalism as a whole lacks the integrity it once did. All 4 major news groups do it.

    Part of it is to stir the pot. Be it Howard Stern in the 90’s to all the opinion based programming on ESPN now. Stirring the pot gets views if you agree and if you disagree.

    Fact checking happens based on the perception of the typical viewer and what they “buy”.

    For me, I enjoy watching full speeches, full interviews, and thinking for myself.

    If you are just going after the highlight real despite the source, generally there is hard core bias that plays heavy.

    To the OP by @CuddleDuncan, I do agree with his list. I have found foreign news has less of inventive to cater to group A or group B when group A or group B is based in the United States.

  • RapidCuddlesRapidCuddles

    @g_w_t_w either Abraham Lincoln or Caesar Augustus. Hope you can make it to the next intervention.

  • RapidCuddlesRapidCuddles
    edited February 2025

    @IronLemon i will concede Fox spins more than the others. In my opinion.

    (But they all spin, two wrongs don’t make a right - but three rights make a left)

  • IronicMaidenIronicMaiden

    @RapidCuddles Nothing you said disagrees with what I said. Although it is an interesting deflection.

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