Where have the real news gone?

[Berserker]

I wonder, is there still any news outlet out there that isn't heavily biased? We all know that MSNBC is heavily biased left, and FOX is heavily biased right. Does that leave CNN in the middle, or are they strafing too? Should we switch to BBC for our news? Or do we all need to start paying for news outlets like "The Economist" or "Stratfor" to enjoy unbiased news?

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In case you disagree that FOX is heavily biased right, here's some proof: A 4 minute video attacking Obama presented and endorsed by "Fox and Friends".
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/201 ... 24848.html

I don't think I need to show proof for MSNBC. It's too obvious. But let me know if you don't believe me and want me to find you some.

[MorGrendel]

I keep meaning to write a Book of Grudges post about change blindness, I've never applied it to politics and/or news, but that may actually be one of the best examples.

[Fritz]

As long as you stay away from the editorials, Al-Jazeera English is probably some of the best international reporting out there. The editorials are super-left, but the normal reporting is quite good.

[Berserker]

Thanks Fritz, I will give that a try. I did actually also subscribe to the Economist and am getting their magazines every week. I like them.

[MorGrendel]

As an aside, Americans hate the world and the world hates them right back. See the Amanda Knox coverage. Even our European allies see us as inferior and inbred (thanks Franklin). Ironic, really, from countries with a history of monarchies. So it is hard to except world news, as much of it is generally biased against us.

News has always been biased, and in particular, American news has always suffered from a perchance of jingoism. One of my favorites:
In an October 1895 New York Times interview, Theodore Roosevelt responded, "There is much talk about 'jingoism'. If by 'jingoism' they mean a policy in pursuance of which Americans will with resolution and common sense insist upon our rights being respected by foreign powers, then we are 'jingoes'."

[Fritz]

As an aside, Americans hate the world and the world hates them right back. See the Amanda Knox coverage. Even our European allies see us as inferior and inbred (thanks Franklin). Ironic, really, from countries with a history of monarchies. So it is hard to except world news, as much of it is generally biased against us.

This statement in and of itself is a little biased. Sure the Tehran Times and the Pakistan Times are heavily anti-American. However, I find that the BBC, al-Arabiya, the Jerusalem Post, and al-Jazeera are all pretty fair in their coverage. Al-Jazeera English is what CNN's international reporting used to be. They report anything and everything no matter how it makes anyone look. Most of us in intelligence over here use them as our primary source for news concerning the region. If anything I would say they just look at America with a different perspective. That doesn't necessarily make it anti-American (although some of the editorials I've seen from Berkley professors are pretty bad). An outside perspective is often healthy to look at and it's the main reason I like to read al-Jazeera in addition to domestic news agencies. And hey, if that many people around the world think we're crazy, the rest of the world might have a point.

I've found that the best cure for the modern cable news is to simply not watch it. I get my news almost entirely from print sources. I'll read pretty much whatever Google News puts in front of me, but Al-Jazeera, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post are my go to sources. I find the Washington Post and Al-Jazeera have the best no non-sense reporting and I'll usually go with just these two if I don't have much time. If I have time, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal give me perspectives from the left and right respectively, but without the idiocy that you see on cable television. Something about forcing someone to write things down seems to weed out some of the crazy.