I like reading the New York Times because in the short time I’ve been reading it, it seems high quality in both reporting and quality of writing. It is, however, obviously liberal. Which is fine with me, being of a liberal bent, but in the interests of not being a total dumbass, I’d like to also read the other point of view.
So tell me what’s out there as far as high quality conservative media. The Wall Street Journal? Something else?
And heck, while we’re at it, let’s talk about other good liberal media organizations, preferably online.
Objective (ie, not liberal or conservative) sources would be nice, too, but I don’t know if I believe such things exist.
I strongly recommend The Economist magazine. They are a European (British) magazine so their brand of conservatism tends to be mild (more economically conservative and socially liberal). The quality of writing is excellent and stories are in depth. Lots of substance, few pictures.
On the whole I think they provide a pretty fair and balanced view although you can sense the bias on occasion (but that is probably unavoidable in any writing). It is also interesting to read since their perspective is from the outside looking in.
Only downside is it is an expensive subscription but well worth it IMO.
You’re probably already aware of this, and I’m not sure it’s in line with what you’re looking for, but you could always check the Google News front page.
Quite the smattering of sources; you never know what you’ll get.
That was my first thought. I don’t think you really need a subscription to the Economist these days, as I think most of the articles and leaders are available free. It used to be that you need a web or print subscription to get a lot of stuff, but I haven’t had a subscription for a couple years now (got one year free, didn’t re-up as I didn’t have $100) and still get to read the stuff I’m interested in. Sure, you don’t get all the tables and everything, but if you’re interested in news and commentary/analysis, the website should be fine.
By “high quality” what I’m looking for is non-sensationalist writing, preferably without any mention of Lindsey Lohan’s pink bits or other such crap.
So far, I’m liking The Economist. Thanks for that!
But where the heck are all the true conservatives? C’mon, I know you’re out there. What newspaper do you Republicans read every morning?
If I don’t get any better answers, I’m going to assume my pet theory (“Anyone who spends any time really looking at issues - like serious reporters - can’t help but being liberal since it’s the only viewpoint that makes sense.”) You conservatives gonna let that one slide?
I would argue that both the NY Times and the WSJ’s main newspaper sections are NOT left- or right- leaning - they are both trying to report the facts of a storing honoring the intent of providing a clear unbiased view. However, their Opinion / Editorial Pages show a distinct lean, withe NY Times left and the WSJ right. Because the Op / Ed pages are known for their respective slants, folks tend to ascribe the same slant to the general reporting, but my friends who work at both papers argue strongly that this is not the case and they are being painted with the wrong brush…just an fyi.
I agree with the Economist - and would add **NPR ** / PBS. I get most of my news from NPR and The Daily Show…
The bloggers on the Atlantic webpage are really good. I don’t particularly like Andrew Sullivan, but that doesn’t mean he’s not an important writer. And the conservative viewpoint is given a fair shake there.
National Review is consistently worth checking out. Even when an author there misses, it is sure to stir up an interesting debate.
I still check out the Spectator - they have things that make you think from time to time. I don’t like the airing the creationists get there, but that can’t be entirely helped - since I don’t run the place.
Of independent bloggers, the best is probably still Power Line - the bane of Dan Rather.
I also recommend The Economist. Al Jazeera is another excellent source of international news, but as they’re video-only, they may not be for you. The Washington Post is also worth checking out.
