When I started this Steady community here on Substack, I wondered, first and foremost, would anybody show up. I recognized that I was heading into an online territory that was only recently created - a topography that felt, at least to this old reporter, a bit like an uncharted wilderness. But I was comforted by the fact that many others seemed to have planted themselves in the newsletter/blogging world. And I have always been interested in finding new ways to report on the news and communicate with the public.
One can mark the phases of my life against the backdrop of the drastic changes that have occurred in my chosen profession. When I was growing up, newspapers were king, and many households read more than one daily newspaper. Now many places in America don’t even have a regular local paper. Radio helped me follow World War II, and I grew to maturity as a reporter with the rise of television. Back then it was just three broadcast networks; then came the explosion of cable. A digital revolution then beget an online ecosystem which has become a dense jungle of content in many forms, social media, apps, websites, streaming services, podcasts, etc.
For all the outlets, all the niches, all the competition, what does this change do for how we are getting our news? And how is it changing? Are we better informed? Hearing from more diverse voices? More overwhelmed? More distracted? More confused? How do each of you sort through the news? What sources do you turn to? These are the questions on which I would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to respond in any way you wish, but I would like to specifically ask if your news consumption has changed with the new presidential administration. Do you read or watch less news? More? Different sources? More or less on social media? Look for more news that isn’t about politics?
Thanks as always for adding your voice and engaging with the Steady community.
Some ground rules for these Wednesday chats (and also the comments sections on other posts):
I want a space where people feel safe to express their views, as long as they are offered in good faith.
I want a space where ideas can be challenged, especially my own.
I want debate. But I want it to be civil.
I want people to come here with open minds, and open hearts.
I want this to be fun as well as serious.
We can agree to disagree without being disagreeable.
There was so much noise during the Trump administration that I shifted to the AP, NPR, and local news. Any news outlet that doesn’t cause my anxiety to go sky high is welcome 😁
I get my news from articles posted on the internet from a variety of sources. I watch the local news on occasion. Due to the Trump era, I watched less and less of TV national news. The 'news' isn't reported. It's political pundits on every news program spouting their opinions. We no longer subscribe to the local newspaper, after receiving it daily for than 30 years and stopped totally with the weekend newspaper about 5 years ago. I only see Twitter comments from people's post or an internet article. I use Facebook to stay connected with family/friends/acquaintances but do post links to articles that align with my views or to get others thinking.
As a former journalist (and a self-professed news junkie), I consume two source of news media every day, primarily our local newspaper, The Omaha World-Herald, and NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. My husband is a journalism professor so we also subscribe to the New York Times and Washington Post. I watch very little television news, except one local station. I watch Frontline, PBS News Hour and CNN occasionally.
I watch no TV news. Although I skim the front pages of NYT, WP, and WSJ, subscribe to the New Yorker, occasionally listen to NPR and check out Axios or The Hill for a topic of particular interest, for years my go-to source for trustworthy journalism of highest integrity is The Christian Science Monitor. I subscribe to The Monitor Weekly print magazine, plus the digital Daily. It helped me to remain steady during the past four years, and continues to do so with a largeness of heart that offers credible hope, even as it speaks the truth with clarity. It has been calling out the environmental crises for decades, and The Big Lie as A Big Deal for months, as well as unflinchingly pointing out the dangers to our democracy. The Monitor addresses is readers as respected world citizens, providing historical as well as global perspective. Its agenda is to promote understanding and solutions, so it has no need to grab clicks with loaded words, and no desire to elicit angst, anger, or moral indignation with its headlines. I love the digital’s super clean layout, plus the concise podcast option. Thank you, Mr. Rather, for inviting us to consider this question! And for providing an additional source of steadiness.
I have not changed much about my time spent gathering news info or the sources I follow since Joe Biden took office. I usually watch local news on tv in the mornings, and around noon. I watch MSNBC in afternoons and evenings. I follow several news outlets on Twitter and Facebook, as well as some individuals such as yourself. I also follow various politicians, including my US Senators and Representative, state and local elected officials. I read newspaper articles online and articles my friends post on social media. Overall, my stress level is much lower as I follow news during the Biden administration than it was for the former guy, but there are still days that I need to take a break from news.
I have NYT app on my phone with notifications. This way I’m always notified if something big is happening and I also have opportunity to browse the times online. That’s about as much news as I can handle!
For insightful articles on US and world affairs, I look to the Guardian and the AP. My job requires me to be current on New York City politics, so I look to Politico, Gothamist, and the daily papers. I also get emails from right-wing outlets like Patriot Newsfeed and Steadfast Clash, but they are mainly a waste of time -- just sniping at the Biden administration without much regard for the facts -- and hawking drugs and other scams to the gullible. I used to be a big fan of the Christian Science Monitor. I also enjoy Medium, which gives a good forum to many, although you have to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I'm a Canadian and we take the Edmonton Journal (paper copy delivered to our door). And of course we watch CBC, the Canadian network and listen to the CBC radio station. For other news I often check BBC online, watch the Rachel Maddow show, and lately have subscribed the the New York Times online. I also enjoy Trevor Noah and some of the other late night hosts giving us a smile about the news. I never watch "Fox News". I think of those two words together as an oxymoron. Before your former president (Trump) took office, I didn't pay much attention to the U.S. politics. But when he was in office, I felt drawn to watching what was happening in the U.S. Since your current president took office, I do believe that my anxiety level has gone down significantly. In Canada our two main political parties are the conservatives and the liberals. We also have the N.D.P (new democatic party), the green party and others. When I vote, I evaluate the candidates and cast my vote. I don't think of myself as a conservative or a liberal or anything else politically. A number of years ago I did take a job with Elections Canada for a Federal Election. First, I went door to door with a partner enumerating. Our job was to find every eligible voter. Second, on voting day I was required to be at the polling place from the time the polls opened until the moment we had hand counted every vote and double-checked it. Our job was finished that night when we had reported our final count.
The seeds sown by 4 years of Trump's incompetence and malice, the Koch brothers' profit first focus, FB's bland malevolence, the GOP's white supremacist and government-free positioning, and Democratic complacency has brought the US to its most dangerous tipping point since the Civil War. Too many people have relaxed their vigilance because Trump is no longer spouting fascist rhetoric via Twitter. We are in the calm before the storm. I don't know how many right need to be eviscerated before every eligible voter takes every possible step to vote. The GOP is now proudly an anti-democratic, anti-American institution, and we are being destroyed from within. We live on one planet...what happens in other countries affects the US whether we pay attention or not. Climate change, supply chains, virus mutations, etc. I follow individual journalists with expertise in a range of issues (Palestinian and Israeli journalists, New Yorker/Atlantic, Guardian journalists). NPR occasionally (the quality slipped under Trump, BBC occasionally (ditto re the quality under Johnson), Mehdi Hasan on msnbc (clearly a left bias but the sharpest interviewer on US cable), Ali Velshi is often overlooked but always well-prepared and continues to invest time in field work, the Bulwark (for a Conservative perspective into what we can expect next from the GOP--Charlie Sykes is inevitably correct in predicting the next horror we can expect from GOP leadership), historians ( Heather Cox Richardson, Michael Bechloss), authoritarian experts (Anne Applebaum, Timothy Snyder, Ruth Ben Ghiat), disinformation experts (Ben Collins, Tara Swisher), epidemiologists and health experts (Ed Yong, Laurie Garrett, Andy Slavitt, Eric Topol, Bob Wachter), climate change experts, etc. Cable TV provides 5 minute soundbites-understanding issues takes time and expert sources. Local newspapers have their place but provide little insight into foreign affairs. There are 2 issues: 1) the experts are easy to find but people don't necessarily want to face the stark reality of our live, and 2) most people are understandably overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the broken institutions and crumbling democracies throughout the world. As we have seen (since Trump's fascist leanings and the GOP's nonexistent moral center were direct parallels to 1930s Germany), ignoring a looming nightmare does nothing to dispel its destructive effects. Biden is facing crises at every turn, a government with 1 pro-democracy party, a divided country, voter suppression to rival that of Putin, cyberattacks, antivaxxers, a global institution hostile to democracy in Facebook, etc, etc. I don't have a crystal ball, but history, science, and data tell us that 2022 is our last option for Democratic rule in the US, irreversible global warming is less than a decade away, new pandemics can begin any day, and our supply chains (andcwater/gas/food) are highly vulnerable to attacks on breakdowns. It's easier to live without seeing the world as it is, but if we want to change what is, we need to first acknowledge the truth.
Not a fan of TV news these days, I watch CNN selectively but prefer to read my news. I subscribe to the digital Washington Post, the New York Times, the Atlantic, as well as (until recently) the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press (my local Twin Cities newspapers). I subscribed to several other digital publications during the last administration as a way to support journalism -- the Florida Sun Sentinel, the LA Times, The New Yorker, and the Boston Globe among others -- but no longer do so. I also read online Good Black News, the Grio, Politico, the Guardian, Vice, the New Yorker's Borowitz Report, and others I can't think of just now. And I follow News & Guts on Facebook which leads me to other news sources. Before I retired, I woke to NPR radio and still follow my local MPR radio online. I was more diligent about this during the 2020 uprising in Minneapolis because I live 6 blocks from the 3rd Precinct on Lake Street and my church, located 2 blocks from Lake Street and 10 blocks from the 3rd Precinct, was involved with hosting a triage station for medics attending the injured and traumatized. Oh! I watch the View for entertainment news and often hear other news I don't hear elsewhere. CNN and the View are mostly how I experience FoxNews and MSNBC.
CBS This Morning, CNN, NPR and the NY Times are my go to news sources. Occasionally I will listen to conservative radio or watch FOX News, NewsMax or OAN to see what "arguments" they have, but usually I can only last about 15 minutes of being lied to before I start getting disappointed with the human race.
Personally I feel that the way we as a society gets the news now it’s great, but I feel that misinformation gets spread around more quickly, and that people no longer report the news gives out the facts.
The reporters leave a lot of facts out, and that’s not good to society.
Mr. rather thank you so much for reporting the news, you are a great reporter and keep up the good work.
I subscribe to the Washington Post--have for years-digital only. I go to Facebook, which I have managed to par down to reliable news and no kookie people. Then I go to Twitter and follow links to articles on all kinds of subjects that interest me. I spend maybe an hour or two and that's it. Works for me.
Dan since DT has left the WH my news consumption has gone way down. I have fathers that Joe will do all in his power to help fix the mess. I turn 70 in July and it has been nice to see the grand kids except for the. Grandkid cold. I listen to Classical Music most of the day with NPR and BBC radio. Then there is you all I can say is Thank You so much. You have been part of my life for a long time. I also check CNN and others on my phone. But since Joe has been in I have cut the cord. I do love me some Mozart. Richard in Portland
I read news from cnn, huffpost, msnbc. I occasionally watch local and nbc world news. I don’t watch cable news anymore, it’s too divisive. I am exhausted from the last five years. I love the interaction on Twitter. I love their news feeds. I’m comfortable with the Biden administration. I trust their leadership. I am at ease now. Life is better than with the other guy. ❤️
I am 42 and my news consumption has definitely changed over the years, initially as I entered my mid-30s I became more interested in learning and understanding what was going on in the world around me. I read Time magazine religiously, watched the evening news (ABC/CBS/NBC), and listened to NPR. Then came the Trump years, I became overwhelmed and alarmed at the “news” yelling at me, giving me opinions instead of facts, and implying by the words used how I should think. I no longer watch the news, Time magazines sit unread on my counter, but I do still listen to NPR occasionally.
I normally get the majority of my news from a local news channel for our local news and ABC Nightly News for my national news. I do read on Yahoo news but it's the concise, current news that I prefer on ABC. I don't go for all the cable news channels. I trust the three major network news shows as they aren't, and never were, created for sensationalism.
Before anyone even mentioned the phenomenon, I happened to notice in myself that just a very few weeks into the Biden administration I noticed that my compulsion to intensively watch, read, or listen to news had diminished. It seemed to me that every week or sometimes every day Trump would be doing or saying something that was sickening and damaging. Even though I've been an avid news consumer of news all my life, I felt as if I had to constantly and consistently keep an eye on the news for his next craziness. I don't know why I felt that was useful or helpful to do, but then it was a compulsion. What craziness am I talking about! Such things as executing as many people as possible right before his term ended; doing away with migratory bird protections, caging children, opening up the Arctic Wildlife Preserve to oil leases, doing away with environmental protection laws, constant vile name calling, and all the idiocy of his response to Covid-19, from bleach to "it will be over by Easter." On top of that was the insurrection. I think the bottom line is that even though I don't agree with Biden over everything, I feel I can relax and not worry about what dumb ass thing (can I say that here) he might do while I'm not alert and on watch. My news sources: I subscribe to Steady, but also use NPR, Washington Post and NYT (digital), MSNBC, ABC nightly news, CNN occasionally or for specials,The Economist (print), NBC Breaking News (app), The Guardian (app), Clarion Ledger (local paper digital), Star Herald (local paper digital). I'd love to get the NYT in print, but it would arrive late (or not at all given today's sometimes inefficient delivery times). I also pick up news items and things of personal interest from Facebook and Twitter.
With President Biden, I think I listen to fewer news reports as I trust him. He is a safer president so therefore, I don't have to brace myself about anything ridiculous. Trump is still stirring the pot and unfortunately, too many Republicans have become blind to the truth, including some of my family members. I am so grateful to have Biden in office!
I stopped watching TV news during the Trump Administration after shattering a molar during a Trump-induced PTSD night terror.
I daily follow you and Heather Cox Richardson, and digitally subscribe to NYT and WaPo. I read articles from other reputable, science-based, non-ideological sources, as well as staying in touch with friends in other parts of the country and world.
I read my local newspaper in Pittsburgh, although often skipping the right-wing editorials of the new management
I listen to some podcasts, especially while exercising.
Mostly, at age 71 and having fought in my youth for feminism and anti war causes, against the illegal Contra war and the American support and training of Salvadoran death squads, and antiaparteid, and the Iraq War, I am weary. I have PTSD and have to be exceedingly careful about my mental health.
I don't want to be angry all the time. (Although a quote attributed to St. Augustine says that "Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are."
Fortunately, younger generations than mine may be rising to the task of reclaiming our democracy. They give me much-needed hopefulness.
Simple woman of simple tastes. Most of My News comes from ABC. I can't seem to tolerate CBS any longer expect 60 minutes, Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley and Chris Coumo at CNN, but He shouldn't count becuase He was at ABC. Fox News isn't worth my time because I feel they help created the disaster of the last 4 years just to sell air time. My radio in my car is set to NPR because if they don't mess up they admit it and move on and they are not trying to sell air time. PBS for BBC world because they give a better perspective on what the World may think. I don't read the paper any more because I can get it for free on the internet. I donate money to NPR, PBS and here but would like to see more stories here that are not opinion/editorials. I like Your interviews on Facebook, read Your book "What makes Us..." but didn't start paying attention to Twitter until the block #45 from using it.
There are lots of great researchers and reporters limited by the corporate media platforms that deliver our news. I wrote a local newspaper column for a decade and sometimes felt I did more research on an opinion piece than reporters regurgitating whatever local politicians fed them. I get my news via Google, Yahoo, AOL, CNN, AP, The Guardian and other legit sources I can find. It is infuriating to see Fox News stories included in newsfeeds, as it is clearly a political propaganda channel, as are OAN and Newsmax that we get on cable that does not provide FSTV or other progressive news sources. MSNBC is not liberal, as evidenced by the volume of current and former Republicans serving as broadcasters. Seriously, Phil Donahue and Keith Olbermann were too radical for MSNBC! I listen to the Thom Hartmann podcast that is far more informative and deep-diving than most news providers and it's a talk show where real callers actually add to the content. With the loss of local newspapers, communities have lost out on local coverage and spirited discussions where I got my start on the Opinion Page. A good friend taught me the difference between Accountability Journalism and Access Journalism. Most journalism these days is access journalism so that the same faces will come back on Meet The Republicans (as Hartmann calls Meet The Press) because they are not confronted or held accountable. It's a sad state of affairs. Thank you for creating this space for discussion!
When Former Guy took power, I lived in Europe. I subscribed to a number of news sources - in part to make sure they survived, in part to vary the voices I was hearing to avoid the echo chamber. I've discontinued some of them now, but kept most (I'm now retired - more time to read!). The substack thing took me some time to get used to; single voices without the editorial board (and journalistic standards) looking over their shoulder are questionable in my view, and have to earn my trust before I shell out $$$. I would subscribe to more Canadian sources, but they're now mostly owned by Postmedia and that organization will not get a penny from me.
Here's where I am now, * = paid subscription:
*WaPo (digital)
*NYT (digital)
*New Yorker (digital)
*Atlantic (digital and hard copy)
Maclean's (digital)
*The Guardian (digital)
*Daily Beast (digital)
CBC (website and TV)
BBC (website and TV)
CNN (website and TV)
MSNBC (occasional, usually Maddow)
Vox (occasional)
Politico (occasional)
Substacks:
*Dan Rather/Steady
*David Lat/Original Jurisdiction
As for Facebook and Twitter, I curate my feeds carefully and will pick off the occasional article from other sources, provided they're not behind a paywall. This is how I tend to see stuff Fox or some of the RW "sources" put out - in small doses.
The newspapers still are King. Most of the "Breaking News" on cable is hot off the presses in Washington and New York. Give me "the edited news in print", not talking head interpretations squeezed in between endless commercial breaks, book promotions and stayed tuned blather.
I get my news online. I find that my local TV news sources are sometimes days behind. I do, however, refer to the Media Bias Chart and try to get my news from as neutral a source as I can. That means checking the MBC frequently for updates.
I will occasionally read something from a known biased source just to see what others are reading. It's so sad...
“I would like to specifically ask if your news consumption has changed with the new presidential administration.” My news consumption remains about the same. However, the content is far more diverse than before. POTUS 45 commanded the news spotlight every minute he wasn’t golfing, sleeping, or Tweeting. Since the change of administration and social media ban of #45, the news I read/hear is far more substantive.
“For all the outlets, all the niches, all the competition, what does this change do for how we are getting our news. And how is it changing? Are we better informed?” Thanks to online news sites, I am much better informed as to the real-time weather and traffic. It’s easier to bring up local news of interest. Google or ask Alexa makes day-to-day life in the present moment easier than ever before.
The big picture of whether or not the collective “we” are better informed is all in the interpretation of better informed. The abundance of information available on the web is overwhelming. Cable news and social media are in-your-face constantly.
It requires real critical thinking skills to navigate the labyrinth. January 6, 2021, answers the question for me. The continual propagation of The Big Lie via the news media and social media is appalling. Of course, there is another way to see it. If news and social media can propagate a lie, they can be used to propagate the truth.
Prior to the inception of CNN, I watched local news channels with Huntley & Brinkley, Cronkite, Rather, etc. Then the world opened like a book and we could all hear/see/discover what was going on around the globe, until Ted Turner let us down by selling his organization. The US slowly became the imaginary center of the world and too many of us became less aware, less interested, far less educated.
Today I listen to PBS, NPR, subscribe to The Guardian and Independent plus a few European outlets, then poke around the internet to find who in the US is doing their best to spread facts rather than playing at “fair and balanced.” Life is not fair and balanced, it’s cold hard truth. Like so many Americans do with death, some currently believe truth is an option. Neither are. We cannot solve problems if we believe there is such a thing as “alternative facts.”
I spend far more time than I should, or ever wanted to, searching for the truth our US media should be offering their fellow Americans on a daily basis. Like Veruca Salt (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), “I want it NOW!”
I guess you could call me "old school" because I still get the local paper delivered every day. I skim through it and read what interests me, and then I go on to the crossword puzzle. Having said that, I get most of my news from online outlets, and I subscribe to a few. My live-in boyfriend and I are polar opposites when it comes to politics, so I avoid bringing up anything that might cause an argument. I like peace in my household. We watch the local news and NBC Evening News unless there is a baseball or basketball game on at the same time. I almost never comment on anything on social media, because I don't care to get into an argument with anyone. I am so glad that I have subscribed to this newsletter because I have such respect for your journalistic integrity.
I subscribe to digital editions of the WashPost and NYT. I don’t read them cover-to-cover but skim, and read articles that interest me. I also click through to articles from various other outlets online, most commonly NPR, CBS, and the Guardian. Strictly print media, I don’t watch TV news anymore except for election nights and major world events.
My news consumption dropped drastically after the election, though before three inauguration; I was just so TIRED. Exhausted by years of the recent collective insanity. I needed some time to recover. I’ve started to gradually ramp up my news intake in the last month or so, but not nearly to the levels I did during the Trump years. It’s honestly wonderful to have an occasional day that’s BORING!
I like to have a Mix, Microsoft does provide a wide mix sources. When on TV. I go to News Mix and like to see the different view points. BUT, there has been a change or say up tick in, day after day of just Hate and fear feed. from yes left and right. Fox is a front leader in this type of News. to the point I just cannt stand anymore. Just selling the same thing heard last week or month.
If ones only news source is just" Hate and Fear" day after day, YOU NEED TO STOP Watching or reading it. It is Not healthy
I miss where news anchor would have at lease two people view points or a show of both sides. more where as "A host" would play a more neural stands. NOT doing a sales job.
We, as a Nation I fear is on a very dark road ahead and NOT really getting the facts right.
Time of the Housing bust, Where was Facts as too what the Banks was doing. Where was the coverage To Rumsfeld Sec. of state in 2003 where he send 2.3 Trillion to Iraq in $100 bills and it just gone - disappeared. Big Banks 7.3 trillion they gave themselves just to have A Bigger to big to fail.
Today, Our leaders on the Constitution.
I ask, as We the People, where are WE going to be at, "IF" We lose Our Constitution.
If it goes I state then the Nation goes. To many of US watch what you wish for and it will be a unknown.
When I was younger I watched network news,then later,cable news. When we got to the Bush #2 era, the only way I could palatably receive the news was from Jon Stewart and the Daily Show. I watched every Obama presser,address,etc, usually on CNN or PBS. When the election of 2016 happened,a truly dark day (and chapter) in our nation's history,after I emerged from my bed after 9 days (not kidding,not an exaggeration) I avoided any and all TV news because the mere sight of 45's face, the sound of his voice, would result in a PTSD type reaction. When I read the paper, I had to obliterate his face and avoided most national news. I spent a lot of time on Twitter because I was surrounded by like minded people and could engage, retweet,etc, without fear. I'm no longer avoiding TV news like the plague,but nor am I seeking it out.
Over the years I have walked out of doctors'offices when they had FOX "news" on the TV in the waiting room. Those who watch FOX (FAUX NEWS) are not people I'd trust throwing my trash out,let alone dealing with any of my medical care!
As we endure for that 'more perfect union', critical thinking skills are essential! I do not follow sensational journalism nor its personalities, subscribe only to Substack & Daily Show, follow & skim Twitter' Biden, Harris, Psaki, Governor, City Mayor/Council and radio .. during 'former guy', sought out any & all outlets except Fox .. today, I know there are fires everywhere but feel Pres/VP have US best intentions & interests at heart & seek global participation, TV now used to stream movies and a handful of binge watching shows, best part, I drink for pleasure now & seek to achieve the ever alluring sense of calm & peaceful existence.
I used to watch the news when you were on the nightly news Dan, 60 Minutes as well. You were my favorite to watch as a young girl and in school inspired me to be a journalist. That ended up not working out for me after school but you remained my favorite. Lately it’s just more than I need on a daily basis, but I do enjoy watching your interviews, I also enjoy Rachel Maddow and several other of the excellent journalists on MSNBC who keep us informed with a sense of humor and decency. I’ve always enjoyed reading but had a hard time enjoying newsprint, so reading on my phone or iPad is great. I enjoy listening to podcasts as well and there are so many excellent ones available these days. Plus every newspaper now has an app or subscription so you can have your favorite one available at all times. I prefer The NY Times and I also enjoy reading my local news as well. Plus Apple News offers a wide variety of options. I spend quite a bit of time on Twitter as well. It’s my favorite of the social media apps.
I have to say I’m really glad you didn’t fully retire Dan! I do so enjoy The Big Interview.
Apple News (curated to contain cross-section of coverage) and local paper in the AM. BBC News in the PM. Some CNN and MSNBC. I turn over to FOX, just to see what's going on, but can't stay too long before it's too much. I really don't follow or get many postings on social media, but I do check twitter once a day to see what's trending. I think I watch less news now than I did a year ago because there's less that causes me to pull my hair and say, "Can you believe what just happened now?"
I usually read through Apple News, on subscription, every morning with my first cup of coffee. In the last administration, I felt a need to check almost constantly through the day, waiting for the next disaster. Now I check once or twice but casually.
I think there is a very real lack of accountability to accuracy and truth in a lot of outlets, with the advertising dollar being given first ranking amongst priorities. I don't know what the right balance/response is, but I know it isn't what we have now.
I never watch TV news because the images are too violent and "if it bleeds, it leads". I am continuing what I did during the previous administration by reading links posted by friends with similar progressive political stances on social media, Israeli papers across the political spectrum daily, Dan Rather's postings, Heather Cox Richardson, op-eds by Krugman and Blow from the NY Times and I scan LA Times for SoCal news. I read long articles in New Yorker and Covid information from Washington Post.
So I have quite a bit for only a high school student, I subscribe to the New York Times, Washington post, Wall Street journal, politico, the economist, the Atlantic, the New Yorker, Newsweek, the nation, time, Washington monthly, foreign affairs and my dad subscribes to the print versions of the Wall Street journal and financial times which I will read after he’s finished. All the mags I mentioned I get in print and the newspapers are on online. I don’t watch too much tv mostly because I just don’t have time to spend hours watching shows because of school. But when I do get a chance it will mostly be morning joe on msnbc and cnn when Jake tapper is on. I do get the times and post in print on Sunday. I also watch meet the press, face the nation, state of the union, Fox News Sunday, reliable sources, inside politics, this week, pretty much all the Sunday shows since that’s the only time of the week that I can rest and relax. Of course I record the majority of those, don’t want you guys to think I am crazy. I also along with pretty much everyone else here love Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson I read it every morning along with a number of other newsletters and sub stacks. Most of my newsletters come from politico, the hill, the fix which is a political newsletter from the post, and the morning letters from the times and journal. I have also started to abuse the student discounts on a lot of my subscriptions which is the only reason I can get most of these. I also like to read the sub stacks from the dispatch and the bulwark to hear from the other side and from real genuine conservatives who have an actual platform.
Having scanned all the comments before this one, I am struck by how similar many of them are to each other and by how often my own preferred news sources are mentioned. I don't think this means that followers of Dan Rather exist in their own biased media bubble. Rather, they are thinking people who can write a coherent paragraph and who value trustworthy news sources. On the other side there is Fox News (whose most successful evening host spews racism and calls for harassment of people who choose to wear masks), right-wing talk radio (unencumbered by any fairness doctrine) and pseudo-intellectual writings that primarily espouse racism, bigotry and greed, often under the guise of arguments about defending freedom of religion, for example. How can we get people to switch from right-wing talk radio to Steady?
My main news sources are--you guessed it--the major national papers, my local paper, NPR, PBS, Atlantic, New Yorker. I have set up my Google smart speakers to play news from around the world, which I love--CBC, Radio-Canada, BBC, etc. I love Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter. If she ever starts to sound repetitive, it's because she's a historian and she likes to drive home the true reasons behind the behavior of some of our so-called leaders. Over time, before she came along, it was often too easy to lose sight of some of the things that she focuses on. Steady has also become essential to me--among other things, it is a regular reminder that integrity still exists!
I read your comments daily and value your intelligence and comments. I watch a locsl News channel on our local channel 8 in Sandy Oregon. I do follow Facebook but find a lot of people are so selfish they only think of themselves and will not follow protocol to help get this awful virus in control.
My husband and I have been news junkies since our college days. We have a yearly subscription to NPR-WBEZ in Chicago where we live, and national NPR is pinned on my home page. I have e-subscriptions to the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post. I dropped mine to the NY Times because I was fed up with their slanted headlines/stories during the previous administration. My husband still has one, however. Our daughter, who lives with us, has a paper subscription to the Tribune, and we often read it too. She has inherited our appetite for news and reading. I also read stories from The Guardian, BBC America, lately reading the Edinburgh Times online to understand what was happening with the Scottish election. We subscribe to the weekly neighborhood paper, the Hyde Park Herald, and I have an e-sub to Block Club Chicago, a local paper that covers just about every neighborhood in the city, with dedicated reporters who cover each one. I think these hyper-local papers are very important now that the big city-wide papers have less money to cover local areas of the city.
We used to watch PBS Newshour every night--our daughter knew their theme music by heart at two years old--but we do not watch it all the time now. I still feel, however, that PBS is a source of news that I trust more than others. Likewise, for Washington Week. We sometimes watch MSNBC or less often, CNN or NBC. I would watch BBC Newshour more often if it was on at a time that was more convenient.
I use Twitter as a place to find people in various areas: journalists, scientists, historians, writers, and commentators and as a place to see breaking news stories and then look for more in-depth information elsewhere. I don't depend on Facebook for any kind of news except from my numerous relatives and from friends throughout the states and world whom I would seldom hear from otherwise.
I have an e-sub to The New Yorker and have you, Heather Cox Richardson, Jill Filipovic, the writer Tom Ryan on Substack, as well as some other writers such as Saeed Jones whose writing I enjoy and admire on other blogs where I read their fiction, poetry, essays or news about the arts.
The way I get my news hasn't changed much over the past two years: it is primarily over the internet...via phone and laptop. I subscribe to The Atlantic, check out webinars about current issues, listen to NPR/PBS on the radio when I'm in the car.If I hear or read something current that I want to know more about, I research it and talk to trusted friends and family. And I read favorite journalists like you, Mr. Rather.
There was so much noise during the Trump administration that I shifted to the AP, NPR, and local news. Any news outlet that doesn’t cause my anxiety to go sky high is welcome 😁
MSNBC (Rachel, Lawrence, & Brian mainly), NYT, WaPo, Twitter, DailyBeast, Axios, Lincoln Project, etc.
AP for top of the day news as unbiased as I could find. Digital subs. to NYT, Wall St Journal, WaPo. Love ProPublica.
Grateful for this community and the ideas and references to other great sources. Thanks Dan for the Q and all posters for the A’s
I get my news from articles posted on the internet from a variety of sources. I watch the local news on occasion. Due to the Trump era, I watched less and less of TV national news. The 'news' isn't reported. It's political pundits on every news program spouting their opinions. We no longer subscribe to the local newspaper, after receiving it daily for than 30 years and stopped totally with the weekend newspaper about 5 years ago. I only see Twitter comments from people's post or an internet article. I use Facebook to stay connected with family/friends/acquaintances but do post links to articles that align with my views or to get others thinking.
PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, USA Today, MSNBC, WSJ, Washington Post, Harvard Business Review
As a former journalist (and a self-professed news junkie), I consume two source of news media every day, primarily our local newspaper, The Omaha World-Herald, and NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. My husband is a journalism professor so we also subscribe to the New York Times and Washington Post. I watch very little television news, except one local station. I watch Frontline, PBS News Hour and CNN occasionally.
I watch no TV news. Although I skim the front pages of NYT, WP, and WSJ, subscribe to the New Yorker, occasionally listen to NPR and check out Axios or The Hill for a topic of particular interest, for years my go-to source for trustworthy journalism of highest integrity is The Christian Science Monitor. I subscribe to The Monitor Weekly print magazine, plus the digital Daily. It helped me to remain steady during the past four years, and continues to do so with a largeness of heart that offers credible hope, even as it speaks the truth with clarity. It has been calling out the environmental crises for decades, and The Big Lie as A Big Deal for months, as well as unflinchingly pointing out the dangers to our democracy. The Monitor addresses is readers as respected world citizens, providing historical as well as global perspective. Its agenda is to promote understanding and solutions, so it has no need to grab clicks with loaded words, and no desire to elicit angst, anger, or moral indignation with its headlines. I love the digital’s super clean layout, plus the concise podcast option. Thank you, Mr. Rather, for inviting us to consider this question! And for providing an additional source of steadiness.
I have not changed much about my time spent gathering news info or the sources I follow since Joe Biden took office. I usually watch local news on tv in the mornings, and around noon. I watch MSNBC in afternoons and evenings. I follow several news outlets on Twitter and Facebook, as well as some individuals such as yourself. I also follow various politicians, including my US Senators and Representative, state and local elected officials. I read newspaper articles online and articles my friends post on social media. Overall, my stress level is much lower as I follow news during the Biden administration than it was for the former guy, but there are still days that I need to take a break from news.
I have NYT app on my phone with notifications. This way I’m always notified if something big is happening and I also have opportunity to browse the times online. That’s about as much news as I can handle!
NPRadio, stream live via Roku CBS, CBSN, , NY Times, U-Tube news excerpts from Washington Post, CNN, NBC & MSNBC, ABC.
For insightful articles on US and world affairs, I look to the Guardian and the AP. My job requires me to be current on New York City politics, so I look to Politico, Gothamist, and the daily papers. I also get emails from right-wing outlets like Patriot Newsfeed and Steadfast Clash, but they are mainly a waste of time -- just sniping at the Biden administration without much regard for the facts -- and hawking drugs and other scams to the gullible. I used to be a big fan of the Christian Science Monitor. I also enjoy Medium, which gives a good forum to many, although you have to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I'm a Canadian and we take the Edmonton Journal (paper copy delivered to our door). And of course we watch CBC, the Canadian network and listen to the CBC radio station. For other news I often check BBC online, watch the Rachel Maddow show, and lately have subscribed the the New York Times online. I also enjoy Trevor Noah and some of the other late night hosts giving us a smile about the news. I never watch "Fox News". I think of those two words together as an oxymoron. Before your former president (Trump) took office, I didn't pay much attention to the U.S. politics. But when he was in office, I felt drawn to watching what was happening in the U.S. Since your current president took office, I do believe that my anxiety level has gone down significantly. In Canada our two main political parties are the conservatives and the liberals. We also have the N.D.P (new democatic party), the green party and others. When I vote, I evaluate the candidates and cast my vote. I don't think of myself as a conservative or a liberal or anything else politically. A number of years ago I did take a job with Elections Canada for a Federal Election. First, I went door to door with a partner enumerating. Our job was to find every eligible voter. Second, on voting day I was required to be at the polling place from the time the polls opened until the moment we had hand counted every vote and double-checked it. Our job was finished that night when we had reported our final count.
WaPo and NYT - opinion writing and news coverage.
Christian Science Monitor - for good, balanced, level-headed coverage (no screaming, very refreshing)
The Economist - for international news
The Hill and Politico - for DC coverage
FiveThirtyEight - for a data-driven take
NPR, WaPo and NYT - for breaking news coverage
Our local paper for obits and what passes for local news in our small town
Links to other newspaper sources on FB - generally UK papers.
The seeds sown by 4 years of Trump's incompetence and malice, the Koch brothers' profit first focus, FB's bland malevolence, the GOP's white supremacist and government-free positioning, and Democratic complacency has brought the US to its most dangerous tipping point since the Civil War. Too many people have relaxed their vigilance because Trump is no longer spouting fascist rhetoric via Twitter. We are in the calm before the storm. I don't know how many right need to be eviscerated before every eligible voter takes every possible step to vote. The GOP is now proudly an anti-democratic, anti-American institution, and we are being destroyed from within. We live on one planet...what happens in other countries affects the US whether we pay attention or not. Climate change, supply chains, virus mutations, etc. I follow individual journalists with expertise in a range of issues (Palestinian and Israeli journalists, New Yorker/Atlantic, Guardian journalists). NPR occasionally (the quality slipped under Trump, BBC occasionally (ditto re the quality under Johnson), Mehdi Hasan on msnbc (clearly a left bias but the sharpest interviewer on US cable), Ali Velshi is often overlooked but always well-prepared and continues to invest time in field work, the Bulwark (for a Conservative perspective into what we can expect next from the GOP--Charlie Sykes is inevitably correct in predicting the next horror we can expect from GOP leadership), historians ( Heather Cox Richardson, Michael Bechloss), authoritarian experts (Anne Applebaum, Timothy Snyder, Ruth Ben Ghiat), disinformation experts (Ben Collins, Tara Swisher), epidemiologists and health experts (Ed Yong, Laurie Garrett, Andy Slavitt, Eric Topol, Bob Wachter), climate change experts, etc. Cable TV provides 5 minute soundbites-understanding issues takes time and expert sources. Local newspapers have their place but provide little insight into foreign affairs. There are 2 issues: 1) the experts are easy to find but people don't necessarily want to face the stark reality of our live, and 2) most people are understandably overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the broken institutions and crumbling democracies throughout the world. As we have seen (since Trump's fascist leanings and the GOP's nonexistent moral center were direct parallels to 1930s Germany), ignoring a looming nightmare does nothing to dispel its destructive effects. Biden is facing crises at every turn, a government with 1 pro-democracy party, a divided country, voter suppression to rival that of Putin, cyberattacks, antivaxxers, a global institution hostile to democracy in Facebook, etc, etc. I don't have a crystal ball, but history, science, and data tell us that 2022 is our last option for Democratic rule in the US, irreversible global warming is less than a decade away, new pandemics can begin any day, and our supply chains (andcwater/gas/food) are highly vulnerable to attacks on breakdowns. It's easier to live without seeing the world as it is, but if we want to change what is, we need to first acknowledge the truth.
Not a fan of TV news these days, I watch CNN selectively but prefer to read my news. I subscribe to the digital Washington Post, the New York Times, the Atlantic, as well as (until recently) the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press (my local Twin Cities newspapers). I subscribed to several other digital publications during the last administration as a way to support journalism -- the Florida Sun Sentinel, the LA Times, The New Yorker, and the Boston Globe among others -- but no longer do so. I also read online Good Black News, the Grio, Politico, the Guardian, Vice, the New Yorker's Borowitz Report, and others I can't think of just now. And I follow News & Guts on Facebook which leads me to other news sources. Before I retired, I woke to NPR radio and still follow my local MPR radio online. I was more diligent about this during the 2020 uprising in Minneapolis because I live 6 blocks from the 3rd Precinct on Lake Street and my church, located 2 blocks from Lake Street and 10 blocks from the 3rd Precinct, was involved with hosting a triage station for medics attending the injured and traumatized. Oh! I watch the View for entertainment news and often hear other news I don't hear elsewhere. CNN and the View are mostly how I experience FoxNews and MSNBC.
CBS This Morning, CNN, NPR and the NY Times are my go to news sources. Occasionally I will listen to conservative radio or watch FOX News, NewsMax or OAN to see what "arguments" they have, but usually I can only last about 15 minutes of being lied to before I start getting disappointed with the human race.
Personally I feel that the way we as a society gets the news now it’s great, but I feel that misinformation gets spread around more quickly, and that people no longer report the news gives out the facts.
The reporters leave a lot of facts out, and that’s not good to society.
Mr. rather thank you so much for reporting the news, you are a great reporter and keep up the good work.
I subscribe to the Washington Post--have for years-digital only. I go to Facebook, which I have managed to par down to reliable news and no kookie people. Then I go to Twitter and follow links to articles on all kinds of subjects that interest me. I spend maybe an hour or two and that's it. Works for me.
Dan since DT has left the WH my news consumption has gone way down. I have fathers that Joe will do all in his power to help fix the mess. I turn 70 in July and it has been nice to see the grand kids except for the. Grandkid cold. I listen to Classical Music most of the day with NPR and BBC radio. Then there is you all I can say is Thank You so much. You have been part of my life for a long time. I also check CNN and others on my phone. But since Joe has been in I have cut the cord. I do love me some Mozart. Richard in Portland
I read news from cnn, huffpost, msnbc. I occasionally watch local and nbc world news. I don’t watch cable news anymore, it’s too divisive. I am exhausted from the last five years. I love the interaction on Twitter. I love their news feeds. I’m comfortable with the Biden administration. I trust their leadership. I am at ease now. Life is better than with the other guy. ❤️
I am 42 and my news consumption has definitely changed over the years, initially as I entered my mid-30s I became more interested in learning and understanding what was going on in the world around me. I read Time magazine religiously, watched the evening news (ABC/CBS/NBC), and listened to NPR. Then came the Trump years, I became overwhelmed and alarmed at the “news” yelling at me, giving me opinions instead of facts, and implying by the words used how I should think. I no longer watch the news, Time magazines sit unread on my counter, but I do still listen to NPR occasionally.
I normally get the majority of my news from a local news channel for our local news and ABC Nightly News for my national news. I do read on Yahoo news but it's the concise, current news that I prefer on ABC. I don't go for all the cable news channels. I trust the three major network news shows as they aren't, and never were, created for sensationalism.
Before anyone even mentioned the phenomenon, I happened to notice in myself that just a very few weeks into the Biden administration I noticed that my compulsion to intensively watch, read, or listen to news had diminished. It seemed to me that every week or sometimes every day Trump would be doing or saying something that was sickening and damaging. Even though I've been an avid news consumer of news all my life, I felt as if I had to constantly and consistently keep an eye on the news for his next craziness. I don't know why I felt that was useful or helpful to do, but then it was a compulsion. What craziness am I talking about! Such things as executing as many people as possible right before his term ended; doing away with migratory bird protections, caging children, opening up the Arctic Wildlife Preserve to oil leases, doing away with environmental protection laws, constant vile name calling, and all the idiocy of his response to Covid-19, from bleach to "it will be over by Easter." On top of that was the insurrection. I think the bottom line is that even though I don't agree with Biden over everything, I feel I can relax and not worry about what dumb ass thing (can I say that here) he might do while I'm not alert and on watch. My news sources: I subscribe to Steady, but also use NPR, Washington Post and NYT (digital), MSNBC, ABC nightly news, CNN occasionally or for specials,The Economist (print), NBC Breaking News (app), The Guardian (app), Clarion Ledger (local paper digital), Star Herald (local paper digital). I'd love to get the NYT in print, but it would arrive late (or not at all given today's sometimes inefficient delivery times). I also pick up news items and things of personal interest from Facebook and Twitter.
#DanRather @DanRather us our favorite way! Plus msn.com #LOVE for Dan!!
I try to look at different sources, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, AL JAZEERA, BBC, I'll even peep at FOX, but can only tolerate them for about 5 min
With President Biden, I think I listen to fewer news reports as I trust him. He is a safer president so therefore, I don't have to brace myself about anything ridiculous. Trump is still stirring the pot and unfortunately, too many Republicans have become blind to the truth, including some of my family members. I am so grateful to have Biden in office!
I stopped watching TV news during the Trump Administration after shattering a molar during a Trump-induced PTSD night terror.
I daily follow you and Heather Cox Richardson, and digitally subscribe to NYT and WaPo. I read articles from other reputable, science-based, non-ideological sources, as well as staying in touch with friends in other parts of the country and world.
I read my local newspaper in Pittsburgh, although often skipping the right-wing editorials of the new management
I listen to some podcasts, especially while exercising.
Mostly, at age 71 and having fought in my youth for feminism and anti war causes, against the illegal Contra war and the American support and training of Salvadoran death squads, and antiaparteid, and the Iraq War, I am weary. I have PTSD and have to be exceedingly careful about my mental health.
I don't want to be angry all the time. (Although a quote attributed to St. Augustine says that "Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are."
Fortunately, younger generations than mine may be rising to the task of reclaiming our democracy. They give me much-needed hopefulness.
Simple woman of simple tastes. Most of My News comes from ABC. I can't seem to tolerate CBS any longer expect 60 minutes, Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley and Chris Coumo at CNN, but He shouldn't count becuase He was at ABC. Fox News isn't worth my time because I feel they help created the disaster of the last 4 years just to sell air time. My radio in my car is set to NPR because if they don't mess up they admit it and move on and they are not trying to sell air time. PBS for BBC world because they give a better perspective on what the World may think. I don't read the paper any more because I can get it for free on the internet. I donate money to NPR, PBS and here but would like to see more stories here that are not opinion/editorials. I like Your interviews on Facebook, read Your book "What makes Us..." but didn't start paying attention to Twitter until the block #45 from using it.
There are lots of great researchers and reporters limited by the corporate media platforms that deliver our news. I wrote a local newspaper column for a decade and sometimes felt I did more research on an opinion piece than reporters regurgitating whatever local politicians fed them. I get my news via Google, Yahoo, AOL, CNN, AP, The Guardian and other legit sources I can find. It is infuriating to see Fox News stories included in newsfeeds, as it is clearly a political propaganda channel, as are OAN and Newsmax that we get on cable that does not provide FSTV or other progressive news sources. MSNBC is not liberal, as evidenced by the volume of current and former Republicans serving as broadcasters. Seriously, Phil Donahue and Keith Olbermann were too radical for MSNBC! I listen to the Thom Hartmann podcast that is far more informative and deep-diving than most news providers and it's a talk show where real callers actually add to the content. With the loss of local newspapers, communities have lost out on local coverage and spirited discussions where I got my start on the Opinion Page. A good friend taught me the difference between Accountability Journalism and Access Journalism. Most journalism these days is access journalism so that the same faces will come back on Meet The Republicans (as Hartmann calls Meet The Press) because they are not confronted or held accountable. It's a sad state of affairs. Thank you for creating this space for discussion!
When Former Guy took power, I lived in Europe. I subscribed to a number of news sources - in part to make sure they survived, in part to vary the voices I was hearing to avoid the echo chamber. I've discontinued some of them now, but kept most (I'm now retired - more time to read!). The substack thing took me some time to get used to; single voices without the editorial board (and journalistic standards) looking over their shoulder are questionable in my view, and have to earn my trust before I shell out $$$. I would subscribe to more Canadian sources, but they're now mostly owned by Postmedia and that organization will not get a penny from me.
Here's where I am now, * = paid subscription:
*WaPo (digital)
*NYT (digital)
*New Yorker (digital)
*Atlantic (digital and hard copy)
Maclean's (digital)
*The Guardian (digital)
*Daily Beast (digital)
CBC (website and TV)
BBC (website and TV)
CNN (website and TV)
MSNBC (occasional, usually Maddow)
Vox (occasional)
Politico (occasional)
Substacks:
*Dan Rather/Steady
*David Lat/Original Jurisdiction
As for Facebook and Twitter, I curate my feeds carefully and will pick off the occasional article from other sources, provided they're not behind a paywall. This is how I tend to see stuff Fox or some of the RW "sources" put out - in small doses.
The newspapers still are King. Most of the "Breaking News" on cable is hot off the presses in Washington and New York. Give me "the edited news in print", not talking head interpretations squeezed in between endless commercial breaks, book promotions and stayed tuned blather.
Old Sooner
I get my news online. I find that my local TV news sources are sometimes days behind. I do, however, refer to the Media Bias Chart and try to get my news from as neutral a source as I can. That means checking the MBC frequently for updates.
I will occasionally read something from a known biased source just to see what others are reading. It's so sad...
“I would like to specifically ask if your news consumption has changed with the new presidential administration.” My news consumption remains about the same. However, the content is far more diverse than before. POTUS 45 commanded the news spotlight every minute he wasn’t golfing, sleeping, or Tweeting. Since the change of administration and social media ban of #45, the news I read/hear is far more substantive.
“For all the outlets, all the niches, all the competition, what does this change do for how we are getting our news. And how is it changing? Are we better informed?” Thanks to online news sites, I am much better informed as to the real-time weather and traffic. It’s easier to bring up local news of interest. Google or ask Alexa makes day-to-day life in the present moment easier than ever before.
The big picture of whether or not the collective “we” are better informed is all in the interpretation of better informed. The abundance of information available on the web is overwhelming. Cable news and social media are in-your-face constantly.
It requires real critical thinking skills to navigate the labyrinth. January 6, 2021, answers the question for me. The continual propagation of The Big Lie via the news media and social media is appalling. Of course, there is another way to see it. If news and social media can propagate a lie, they can be used to propagate the truth.
Pbs news hour and nbc nightly news and Jennifer psaki daily press conference
Prior to the inception of CNN, I watched local news channels with Huntley & Brinkley, Cronkite, Rather, etc. Then the world opened like a book and we could all hear/see/discover what was going on around the globe, until Ted Turner let us down by selling his organization. The US slowly became the imaginary center of the world and too many of us became less aware, less interested, far less educated.
Today I listen to PBS, NPR, subscribe to The Guardian and Independent plus a few European outlets, then poke around the internet to find who in the US is doing their best to spread facts rather than playing at “fair and balanced.” Life is not fair and balanced, it’s cold hard truth. Like so many Americans do with death, some currently believe truth is an option. Neither are. We cannot solve problems if we believe there is such a thing as “alternative facts.”
I spend far more time than I should, or ever wanted to, searching for the truth our US media should be offering their fellow Americans on a daily basis. Like Veruca Salt (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), “I want it NOW!”
I guess you could call me "old school" because I still get the local paper delivered every day. I skim through it and read what interests me, and then I go on to the crossword puzzle. Having said that, I get most of my news from online outlets, and I subscribe to a few. My live-in boyfriend and I are polar opposites when it comes to politics, so I avoid bringing up anything that might cause an argument. I like peace in my household. We watch the local news and NBC Evening News unless there is a baseball or basketball game on at the same time. I almost never comment on anything on social media, because I don't care to get into an argument with anyone. I am so glad that I have subscribed to this newsletter because I have such respect for your journalistic integrity.
Greetings!
I subscribe to digital editions of the WashPost and NYT. I don’t read them cover-to-cover but skim, and read articles that interest me. I also click through to articles from various other outlets online, most commonly NPR, CBS, and the Guardian. Strictly print media, I don’t watch TV news anymore except for election nights and major world events.
My news consumption dropped drastically after the election, though before three inauguration; I was just so TIRED. Exhausted by years of the recent collective insanity. I needed some time to recover. I’ve started to gradually ramp up my news intake in the last month or so, but not nearly to the levels I did during the Trump years. It’s honestly wonderful to have an occasional day that’s BORING!
Respect and regards,
Elizabeth McFadden
Silver Spring, MD
Hello Dan or Mr. Rather,
I like to have a Mix, Microsoft does provide a wide mix sources. When on TV. I go to News Mix and like to see the different view points. BUT, there has been a change or say up tick in, day after day of just Hate and fear feed. from yes left and right. Fox is a front leader in this type of News. to the point I just cannt stand anymore. Just selling the same thing heard last week or month.
If ones only news source is just" Hate and Fear" day after day, YOU NEED TO STOP Watching or reading it. It is Not healthy
I miss where news anchor would have at lease two people view points or a show of both sides. more where as "A host" would play a more neural stands. NOT doing a sales job.
We, as a Nation I fear is on a very dark road ahead and NOT really getting the facts right.
Time of the Housing bust, Where was Facts as too what the Banks was doing. Where was the coverage To Rumsfeld Sec. of state in 2003 where he send 2.3 Trillion to Iraq in $100 bills and it just gone - disappeared. Big Banks 7.3 trillion they gave themselves just to have A Bigger to big to fail.
Today, Our leaders on the Constitution.
I ask, as We the People, where are WE going to be at, "IF" We lose Our Constitution.
If it goes I state then the Nation goes. To many of US watch what you wish for and it will be a unknown.
Steve J Krivanek
When I was younger I watched network news,then later,cable news. When we got to the Bush #2 era, the only way I could palatably receive the news was from Jon Stewart and the Daily Show. I watched every Obama presser,address,etc, usually on CNN or PBS. When the election of 2016 happened,a truly dark day (and chapter) in our nation's history,after I emerged from my bed after 9 days (not kidding,not an exaggeration) I avoided any and all TV news because the mere sight of 45's face, the sound of his voice, would result in a PTSD type reaction. When I read the paper, I had to obliterate his face and avoided most national news. I spent a lot of time on Twitter because I was surrounded by like minded people and could engage, retweet,etc, without fear. I'm no longer avoiding TV news like the plague,but nor am I seeking it out.
Over the years I have walked out of doctors'offices when they had FOX "news" on the TV in the waiting room. Those who watch FOX (FAUX NEWS) are not people I'd trust throwing my trash out,let alone dealing with any of my medical care!
As we endure for that 'more perfect union', critical thinking skills are essential! I do not follow sensational journalism nor its personalities, subscribe only to Substack & Daily Show, follow & skim Twitter' Biden, Harris, Psaki, Governor, City Mayor/Council and radio .. during 'former guy', sought out any & all outlets except Fox .. today, I know there are fires everywhere but feel Pres/VP have US best intentions & interests at heart & seek global participation, TV now used to stream movies and a handful of binge watching shows, best part, I drink for pleasure now & seek to achieve the ever alluring sense of calm & peaceful existence.
I used to watch the news when you were on the nightly news Dan, 60 Minutes as well. You were my favorite to watch as a young girl and in school inspired me to be a journalist. That ended up not working out for me after school but you remained my favorite. Lately it’s just more than I need on a daily basis, but I do enjoy watching your interviews, I also enjoy Rachel Maddow and several other of the excellent journalists on MSNBC who keep us informed with a sense of humor and decency. I’ve always enjoyed reading but had a hard time enjoying newsprint, so reading on my phone or iPad is great. I enjoy listening to podcasts as well and there are so many excellent ones available these days. Plus every newspaper now has an app or subscription so you can have your favorite one available at all times. I prefer The NY Times and I also enjoy reading my local news as well. Plus Apple News offers a wide variety of options. I spend quite a bit of time on Twitter as well. It’s my favorite of the social media apps.
I have to say I’m really glad you didn’t fully retire Dan! I do so enjoy The Big Interview.
Apple News (curated to contain cross-section of coverage) and local paper in the AM. BBC News in the PM. Some CNN and MSNBC. I turn over to FOX, just to see what's going on, but can't stay too long before it's too much. I really don't follow or get many postings on social media, but I do check twitter once a day to see what's trending. I think I watch less news now than I did a year ago because there's less that causes me to pull my hair and say, "Can you believe what just happened now?"
I usually read through Apple News, on subscription, every morning with my first cup of coffee. In the last administration, I felt a need to check almost constantly through the day, waiting for the next disaster. Now I check once or twice but casually.
I think there is a very real lack of accountability to accuracy and truth in a lot of outlets, with the advertising dollar being given first ranking amongst priorities. I don't know what the right balance/response is, but I know it isn't what we have now.
I never watch TV news because the images are too violent and "if it bleeds, it leads". I am continuing what I did during the previous administration by reading links posted by friends with similar progressive political stances on social media, Israeli papers across the political spectrum daily, Dan Rather's postings, Heather Cox Richardson, op-eds by Krugman and Blow from the NY Times and I scan LA Times for SoCal news. I read long articles in New Yorker and Covid information from Washington Post.
I apologize old friend; I've been a bit delinquent in supporting your efforts. I plan to do better.
So I have quite a bit for only a high school student, I subscribe to the New York Times, Washington post, Wall Street journal, politico, the economist, the Atlantic, the New Yorker, Newsweek, the nation, time, Washington monthly, foreign affairs and my dad subscribes to the print versions of the Wall Street journal and financial times which I will read after he’s finished. All the mags I mentioned I get in print and the newspapers are on online. I don’t watch too much tv mostly because I just don’t have time to spend hours watching shows because of school. But when I do get a chance it will mostly be morning joe on msnbc and cnn when Jake tapper is on. I do get the times and post in print on Sunday. I also watch meet the press, face the nation, state of the union, Fox News Sunday, reliable sources, inside politics, this week, pretty much all the Sunday shows since that’s the only time of the week that I can rest and relax. Of course I record the majority of those, don’t want you guys to think I am crazy. I also along with pretty much everyone else here love Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson I read it every morning along with a number of other newsletters and sub stacks. Most of my newsletters come from politico, the hill, the fix which is a political newsletter from the post, and the morning letters from the times and journal. I have also started to abuse the student discounts on a lot of my subscriptions which is the only reason I can get most of these. I also like to read the sub stacks from the dispatch and the bulwark to hear from the other side and from real genuine conservatives who have an actual platform.
Having scanned all the comments before this one, I am struck by how similar many of them are to each other and by how often my own preferred news sources are mentioned. I don't think this means that followers of Dan Rather exist in their own biased media bubble. Rather, they are thinking people who can write a coherent paragraph and who value trustworthy news sources. On the other side there is Fox News (whose most successful evening host spews racism and calls for harassment of people who choose to wear masks), right-wing talk radio (unencumbered by any fairness doctrine) and pseudo-intellectual writings that primarily espouse racism, bigotry and greed, often under the guise of arguments about defending freedom of religion, for example. How can we get people to switch from right-wing talk radio to Steady?
My main news sources are--you guessed it--the major national papers, my local paper, NPR, PBS, Atlantic, New Yorker. I have set up my Google smart speakers to play news from around the world, which I love--CBC, Radio-Canada, BBC, etc. I love Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter. If she ever starts to sound repetitive, it's because she's a historian and she likes to drive home the true reasons behind the behavior of some of our so-called leaders. Over time, before she came along, it was often too easy to lose sight of some of the things that she focuses on. Steady has also become essential to me--among other things, it is a regular reminder that integrity still exists!
I read your comments daily and value your intelligence and comments. I watch a locsl News channel on our local channel 8 in Sandy Oregon. I do follow Facebook but find a lot of people are so selfish they only think of themselves and will not follow protocol to help get this awful virus in control.
My husband and I have been news junkies since our college days. We have a yearly subscription to NPR-WBEZ in Chicago where we live, and national NPR is pinned on my home page. I have e-subscriptions to the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post. I dropped mine to the NY Times because I was fed up with their slanted headlines/stories during the previous administration. My husband still has one, however. Our daughter, who lives with us, has a paper subscription to the Tribune, and we often read it too. She has inherited our appetite for news and reading. I also read stories from The Guardian, BBC America, lately reading the Edinburgh Times online to understand what was happening with the Scottish election. We subscribe to the weekly neighborhood paper, the Hyde Park Herald, and I have an e-sub to Block Club Chicago, a local paper that covers just about every neighborhood in the city, with dedicated reporters who cover each one. I think these hyper-local papers are very important now that the big city-wide papers have less money to cover local areas of the city.
We used to watch PBS Newshour every night--our daughter knew their theme music by heart at two years old--but we do not watch it all the time now. I still feel, however, that PBS is a source of news that I trust more than others. Likewise, for Washington Week. We sometimes watch MSNBC or less often, CNN or NBC. I would watch BBC Newshour more often if it was on at a time that was more convenient.
I use Twitter as a place to find people in various areas: journalists, scientists, historians, writers, and commentators and as a place to see breaking news stories and then look for more in-depth information elsewhere. I don't depend on Facebook for any kind of news except from my numerous relatives and from friends throughout the states and world whom I would seldom hear from otherwise.
I have an e-sub to The New Yorker and have you, Heather Cox Richardson, Jill Filipovic, the writer Tom Ryan on Substack, as well as some other writers such as Saeed Jones whose writing I enjoy and admire on other blogs where I read their fiction, poetry, essays or news about the arts.
The way I get my news hasn't changed much over the past two years: it is primarily over the internet...via phone and laptop. I subscribe to The Atlantic, check out webinars about current issues, listen to NPR/PBS on the radio when I'm in the car.If I hear or read something current that I want to know more about, I research it and talk to trusted friends and family. And I read favorite journalists like you, Mr. Rather.