What are the most fair and unbiased news & facts sources for you?

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Profile j mercer
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Message 1404548 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 5:35:25 UTC

I have wanted to ask this for a while. There are some very sharp folks here and I would like to know what you think. It would be interesting if there is any consensus with the broad views expressed here.

I ask because I am at a loss and it seems to me they all have lost the plot and put “their” own spin on everything. I watch, listen, and read several sources locally, nationally, and globally and try to gleam what I think is the better information but still come away not feeling like I know what is really going on.

Is there even such a thing as fair and unbiased news and facts sources any more?



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Message 1404556 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 5:49:09 UTC

Not any more.
[/quote]

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Message 1404565 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 6:07:44 UTC

In reality there are only 3 sources for news. AP, UPI, Reuters. Frequently only one of them will report a given story. The means whatever bias that news wire reported had will appear in every story written from the wire service report. Not good.

If all three report the same given story, then a reading of all three is the closest you can get. Even so official bias can not be ruled out.


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Message 1404655 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 11:08:26 UTC

There's an old saying....

"Believe nothing that you see and only half what you hear"

More true today than it ever was in the past.

The trick is to ascertain which half is the truth.
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Message 1404753 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 16:43:50 UTC - in response to Message 1404655.  

Great input everyone. Thanks for sharing.

Growing up in the 60’s I was fortunate to have lived outside of the US (near London) for a few years and got a good look at how the rest of the world sees the US. Needless to say as a teenager I was ashamed at what I learned. As dependents of US military we were well indoctrinated to be little ambassadors as such. GAWD what an eye opener, I could not see it till I got out of the US and away from its influence.

I do use BBC a lot. I think they report on US better than the US reports on itself. I’m not saying they are the gospel for US news they just seem to have less propaganda about the US. It is quite a contrast watching the big three (NBC, ABC, CBS) national news and then watching BBC US edition. But I think even the US edition is a little off from the BBC that is telecasted in the UK. I have to agree with Chris S in that BBC has changed in the last few years. I was not quite sure what direction it has gone.

And yes Sirus B, Edgar Allan Poe had it right. LOL!!

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Message 1404759 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 17:57:27 UTC - in response to Message 1404565.  

Gary, I keep forgetting about Reuters. They do not show up as often it seems.

If all three report the same given story, then a reading of all three is the closest you can get. Even so official bias can not be ruled out.


If only they all would report on the same more often but they seem to stay away from each other unless one has more dirt than the other. LOL!

It is refreshing to see most, even with different views, see it some what as I do.

For me it is not so important that we agree but that we take the time to try and understand. I like to think that I can disagree but I do try to understand the other positions. It can be an eye opener to try and walk in another's shoes. I have been humbled more than once. (^;
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Message 1404780 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 19:13:50 UTC - in response to Message 1404771.  

It is disappointing Guy. It seems it is even worse with local news outlets. The one newspaper towns & cities have become some of the worst up here in Washington State. Your popcorn bag becomes your barf bag before you can get through the local paper and or the local news hour is over. (^;

If the reporting does not make you sick what is being reported on most sure idly will.

I am a cup is half full person so all is not lost in the slightest.
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Message 1404816 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 20:45:45 UTC - in response to Message 1404802.  

I find that every news outlet nauseates me, except for FOX News.
Fox News makes me want to move to the US and petition the Lord to save US from Liberal Socialist Limbaugh hating Tree hugging Pinko Progressives.
My doctor gave me a Prescription that i take when needed, on an empty stomach and no FOX News in the previous week. It helps.

I'm now limited to getting all the news that's worth printing from the DailyColbertMaher Daily/Weekly.
So Sad.


lol, its a sad state of affairs when the comedy network is a better news source than the actual news. However, I am not a huge fan of Maher. I've found he misleads to make a point and the facts are bad enough without doing that.

Also he comes across as a bit of a sexist arsehole.
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Message 1404845 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 21:22:05 UTC

I mentioned three wire services earlier. There must be some others.

As a consumer of news you must be aware of where the story originates. Read the by line and also see if there is an attribution "and wire service reports" or some such. Know what wire service the news source you are looking at subscribes to.

In discussing this we must also realize there is international news, national news and local news. On the international front many large news organizations have their own reporters in national capitols. They write their own story. At the national level, the coverage of the news organization suffers if it isn't their home country. One man can report it all, even if he is aware of it all.

At the local level, you are at the mercy frequently of a single source. Not reassuring for fair and balance. Also the local guy is frequently the new hire who is still wet behind the ears and looking for the scoop to move up the ladder, liberties are easily taken. Personally saw a reporter at my local paper arrive at an accident scene. He grabbed a passerby and asked what happened. That was the news story. Didn't ask any of the people involved, didn't speak to the police or fire people. Didn't even speak to a second passerby. Story was wrong of course. Sloppy and in a hurry.

You also have 3 broad categories of news. Political news, which is these days really just opinion pieces. You have the soft news, Actress has Nip Slip! Cat rescued from tree. Then there is hard news. Plane crash, film at 10!

For political news, rarely is there a fair or balanced source. The only time it is fair is where the are reporting hard facts, such as poll numbers. Everything else is opinion.

For soft news, most of it is verifiable as is hard news. This ability to verify tends to make it fair. Some of it however is just reprinting press releases. That is claptrap of course.

For hard news, nearly every source realizes they must get it right, and this applies even to faux news. Right means fair and somewhat close to balanced. They know if they don't they will get lambasted by their competitors and worse loose market share.

For all of them, the race for a scoop causes BS to get put out. If they wait to verify, their competitor prints it and they loose sales.

The last issue is how they decide what is news. Frequently that is the personal bias of the editor. So you need a diverse selection so all the stories important to you can be found.

If you want to try and put together a bunch of places to compare and contrast to pick out the true parts, you will need to look at a bunch of places. I'll give a list but understand every single one of them is biased on some subjects or areas. NHK, CCTV, RT, DW, BBC, Al Jazzerra, VOA. Note none of the USA's networks are here as they all tend to give short shift to international news unless there is blood flowing in the streets.

Google and Yahoo both aggregate news from multiple sources. Read the same story from several and then start making decisions on who you think is fair.

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Message 1404846 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 21:24:05 UTC - in response to Message 1404836.  

Also he comes across as a bit of a sexist arsehole.

I wouldn't know about the sexist part, i don't see sex.
I don't know if i'm a boy or a Hot Babe.
People tell me i'm a boy and i believe them.

lol
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Message 1404860 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 22:48:58 UTC - in response to Message 1404648.  
Last modified: 18 Aug 2013, 22:59:11 UTC

Tabloid newspapers misreport news with lurid headlines to sell copy

Though frequently the UK tabloids had the best sports reporting when I lived there.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ...

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Message 1404876 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 23:41:41 UTC - in response to Message 1404845.  

The only time it is fair is where the are reporting hard facts, such as poll numbers.

Are you sure these poll numbers are the facts?

Isn't it possible to manipulate the polls by the questions asked and the order in which the questions are asked?
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Message 1404881 - Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 23:50:45 UTC - in response to Message 1404876.  

Isn't it possible to manipulate the polls by the questions asked and the order in which the questions are asked?

That has been demonstrated many times.
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Message 1404884 - Posted: 19 Aug 2013, 0:03:00 UTC - in response to Message 1404845.  

Nice break down Gary.

I have been pushing more and more foreign language sources through a translator.

Polls are to easily manipulated.

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Message 1404891 - Posted: 19 Aug 2013, 0:30:42 UTC - in response to Message 1404881.  

Isn't it possible to manipulate the polls by the questions asked and the order in which the questions are asked?

That has been demonstrated many times.

Yes. However how much a poll has been manipulated has nothing to do with the accuracy in reporting the numbers obtained. Heck you can even manipulate the actual election vote in how you lay out a ballot.

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Message 1404998 - Posted: 19 Aug 2013, 11:53:24 UTC - in response to Message 1404565.  

In reality there are only 3 sources for news. AP, UPI, Reuters. Frequently only one of them will report a given story. The means whatever bias that news wire reported had will appear in every story written from the wire service report. Not good.

If all three report the same given story, then a reading of all three is the closest you can get. Even so official bias can not be ruled out.


Just for reference the three agency news site links are;

Reuters (UK site) - top of page option to change region.

Associated Press (AP)

United Press International (UPI)
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Message 1405010 - Posted: 19 Aug 2013, 12:38:57 UTC

Al-Jazeera America, F O X News and BBC America. CNN(Blech) INternational

Bound FO Hussein'sAsylum

May we All have a METAMORPHOSIS. REASON. GOoD JUDGEMENT and LOVE and ORDER!!!!!
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Message 1405065 - Posted: 19 Aug 2013, 15:56:02 UTC

I can't comment about Al-Jazeera; but FOX, BBC & CNN often draw stories from the big three wire services. This is particularly true at the start of a "big" story before their own reporters and correspondents have arrived.

Many of the small, local, agencies have bi-directional ties with the three wires, it gives them a window into the wider world and can act as a revenue stream when "the big one" breaks - there is nothing like having a reporter two blocks away rather than two thousand miles.
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Message 1405073 - Posted: 19 Aug 2013, 16:06:45 UTC

...as they dive for page three
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Message boards : Politics : What are the most fair and unbiased news & facts sources for you?


 
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