With all that's going on in the world, it's sometimes difficult to know where to turn for an alternative to main stream media. Even apart from Fox news- AKA the propaganda wing of the politically right- editorial bias, or at the very least limitations, become fairly obvious when comparing coverage by the major news providers with other international and independent news sources. I've actually had a lot of fun with it. Viewing the coverage of Libya by say the New York Times, comparing that with Fox News, Al-Jazeera, the BBC and then finally with the Asian Times, the Guardian, and Democracy Now has made glaring differences become obvious. The big discrepancies range from omissions and quickly breezing over key details to fear-mongering and ratcheting up rhetoric-- all of which seeming to be for clearly political reasons. The comparison, though, is valuable. It allows the careful observer to discern for themselves not only what actually took place, but also how statements from official sources can be interpreted. Which key players are nervous, playing the spin game, ignoring, denying, or taking the offensive helps to paint even more clearly a picture of government policy. Further exploring independent news providers, not forever beholden to corporate control or advertising revenue, allows for a much wider swath for comparison.
It's not always easy to know where you can find truly independent news sources. No news comes without at least some inherent bias, but here is a sampling of some stories and videos from authors and sites that I've been checking out to get an alternative view of events. See what you think.
On Bahrain:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/03/201132982742988712.html
On Libya and key players and stakeholders in the Arab uprisings:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MD02Ak01.html*
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MC30Ak01.html
On the US Economy:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/dec/20/debt-crisis-threatens-us-cities
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175375/tomgram:_lewis_lapham,_consuming_labor/
On the US labor struggle:
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/1/democrats_vow_to_seek_public_referendum
On American Governance*:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/04/20114391843209245.html
On Cote d'Ivoire:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/110404/ivory-coast-gbagbo-ouattara
On Central America:
http://www.alternet.org/story/150474/obama's_drug_war_in_el_salvador?akid=6782.242536.EVVrwE&rd=1&t=24
On War Reporting:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-let-the-images-of-war-speak-for-themselves-2260019.html
On the Qu'ran burning:
http://www.salon.com/news/afghanistan/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2011/04/04/free_speech
On Israel/Palestine:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/fayyad-s-road-to-freedom-runs-over-israeli-law-1.353940
* One's I think are particularly sweet
It's not always easy to know where you can find truly independent news sources. No news comes without at least some inherent bias, but here is a sampling of some stories and videos from authors and sites that I've been checking out to get an alternative view of events. See what you think.
On Bahrain:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/03/201132982742988712.html
On Libya and key players and stakeholders in the Arab uprisings:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MD02Ak01.html*
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MC30Ak01.html
On the US Economy:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/dec/20/debt-crisis-threatens-us-cities
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175375/tomgram:_lewis_lapham,_consuming_labor/
On the US labor struggle:
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/1/democrats_vow_to_seek_public_referendum
On American Governance*:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/04/20114391843209245.html
On Cote d'Ivoire:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/110404/ivory-coast-gbagbo-ouattara
On Central America:
http://www.alternet.org/story/150474/obama's_drug_war_in_el_salvador?akid=6782.242536.EVVrwE&rd=1&t=24
On War Reporting:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-let-the-images-of-war-speak-for-themselves-2260019.html
On the Qu'ran burning:
http://www.salon.com/news/afghanistan/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2011/04/04/free_speech
On Israel/Palestine:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/fayyad-s-road-to-freedom-runs-over-israeli-law-1.353940
* One's I think are particularly sweet
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