Finding the Good News

In this age of blogs, streaming video and podcasts, the general public now finds itself flooded with more information than ever before. It’s hard to know where to start and to keep from just sticking to one site for all your information. Fortunately, we’ve brought you a short guide of some of the best news pages on the internet:

Slate (www.slate.com) – Put together in a blog format, Slate has earned more respect than many of its peers in the digital arena of journalism. Slate offers an array of talent, ranging from many different parts of the political spectrum (though it’s hard for one to not notice a left-wing tilt, especially after you listen to the “Political Gabfest” podcast they post every week). Among some of the finer writers that appear on Slate are veteran analyst John Dickerson, who previously wrote for the Time, and the legendary Christopher Hitchens, author of The Missionary Position and The Trial of Henry Kissinger.

Jewish World Review (www.jewishworldreview.com)– I’ve been hooked on this site ever since I discovered it. JWR hosts a realm of right of center political commentators, including African-American economist Thomas Sowell (if you’ve taken an Economics course at SCCC you’ve no doubt been assigned to read his column), author of Black Rednecks and White Liberals, and talk radio host Laura Ingraham. The only complaint I have is that JWR’s site is a little bit difficult to navigate. Why should I have to dig for an article that was just posted this morning?

The Onion ( www.theonion.com ) Duh!! Of course I would include this bastion of fake news. Before the Daily Show’s popularity was turning out books and spin-off TV shows, the Onion was giving us headlines such as “Mr. T to pity fool” and “Jesus Christ converts to Islam.” The Onion provides a very sleek website that I actually find much more appealing than the print version. They have also recently started a lovely podcast, modeled after the hourly news updates one hears on the radio and filled with absolute rubbish.

The Drudge Report ( www.drudgereport.com ) It seems that the Drudge Report hasn’t changed in format since it was started in the 90s by self-proclaimed libertarian Matt Drudge. The homepage is still one center image followed by bold text and an unorganized plethora of links. However, I’m not sure I’d have it any other way. Whenever a headline comes up on Drudge’s site, the subject is made to seem like a crisis. This works no matter what, whether it’s Iran ’s quest for nuclear technology or Jessica Simpson backing out of a Republican fundraiser. While at the end of the day the Drudge Report is just a bunch of links, and one must listen to his radio talk show (on 570 AM in the Seattle area) to really get Drudge’s opinions, it gives a special spice to the news that you can’t get anywhere else.

The Daily Telograph ( www.telegraph.co.uk ) While the New York Times is embarrassing itself with Jason Blair and Judith Miller, British newspapers such as the conservative Daily Telegraph have been pushing ahead with quality reporting in the digital age. One great thing about British newspapers like this and the Guardian is that they don’t even pretend to be objective in the manner that stateside papers do. The lack of objectivity has done nothing to hamper their level of quality, which I would argue is above that of much American media. The Telegraph especially has lept ahead of its peers in the digital age, delivering a daily podcast that ranges up to 40 minutes. The podcast is top notch, going over all the last day and night’s news in time for your coffee and breakfast.

Aljazeera (English.aljazeera.net) Aljazeera has definitely demonstrated questionable ethics in its ten year history and it’s very hard to argue that they are an unbiased medium. However, they are the most watched media outlet in the Middle East and given the state of current events, it’s helpful for Americans and all Westerners, no matter their political views, to check Aljazeera out for themselves and make an informed judgment.