Bill Moyers and PBS

[Winstonm]

Recently PBS broadcast a Bill Moyers special concerning the media's involvement with endorsing the start of the Iraq war. Although I did not see the show, I have read that it was a rather scathing attack on the lack of in-depth, investigative reporting by the MSM (Mainstream Media), and claimed a propensity for all MSM to not act as reporters but as shills who rehash what are essentially press releases.

 

In another case, Dan Rather in interviews has stated that the press acted as self-censors from doing any hardhitting investigative digging or asking difficult questions after 9-11 due to a common sense that it would seem unpatriotic and uncaring. He does not exclude himself in this reproach.

 

This made me wonder what is the source of our news these days. From what source do you rely and how much confidence do you have in the accuracy and truthfulness of the stories? Do you think investigative journalism is dying? Please feel free to comment.

[pbleighton]

I'm a news junkie. My travel interferes with large scale circulation papers, but I read the NY Times, the Journal, and the NY tabloids 3-4 days a week. I read the Washington Post online, and the Nation, the New Republic, and the Economist in print. I read a variety of online sources, the best of which are talkingpointsmemo.com, slate.com, juancole.com, and huffingtonpost.com. Depending on the guest list, I watch the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Hardball, and some of the Sunday morning shows.

 

The MSM coverage after 9/11 and leading up to the war was mostly disgraceful. Yes, the Bush administration was deceptive, but the media largely didn't even bother to try, they were too busy pimping for the war.

 

Peter

[hrothgar]

I'm a news hound:

 

In the course of an average day:

 

1. I skim the NYT and Washington Post shortly after I get up

2. Head to the gym where I listen to NPR during my workout. I normally try to download "On Point"

3. Read a variety of online news sites as breaks during the day. I am especially fond of Talking Points Memo, Fire Dog Lake and Andrew Sullivan. I occasionally read The New Republic, though mainly out of exasperation.

4. Watch the "News Hours" with Jim Lehrer during dinner

5. I try to read the Economist each week. If I'm feeling ambitious I'll read Die Zeit or the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

[helene_t]

I get almost all my US news from bridgebase forums.

[Winstonm]

My thread so I should chime in. I am somewhat of a news hound myself, most of which developed from following as the Watergate stories unfolded and seeing what the end result of true, deep-down investigative reporting can accomplish.

 

For many years, now, I have been disappointed with the MSM, including many of the magazines and newspapers, so I find myself relying more and more on the internet - foreign views, alternative news, and blogs. This makes the task difficult, because it requires a certain amount of investigative reporting on my own to cross-check and verify stories.

 

I find many blogs and websites to be worthwhile when they link to the source, as you can go to one site and find an Australian newpaper article, an article from Brittian about Tony Blair, or hard-to-find financial information that is not covered by MSM.

 

Of course, with blogs and websites it is imperative to know the slant of the site or the blogger: anti-war.com isn't going to have many articles from Richard Pearle, but the information they do provide is documented other than op/ed.

 

I also use online newspapers such as NYT, Washington Post, and L.A. times.

 

In a sense it is better to dig out the stories as you tend to pay more attention when you have to work so hard to find it - but I still miss the days of Cronkite, Huntley and Binkley, and Edward R. Murrow.

[Winstonm]

I get almost all my US news from bridgebase forums.

Now that IS a frightening thought - having to rely on a bunch of bridge player's opinions for news. :P

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

Herald Tribue (which means NY Times and

to a small degree Washington Post (not 100% sure)).

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[rona_]

International Herald Tribune plus the Egyptian daily star, Cyprus weekly and phileleftheros online just to see how much further our relationship with the Turks in Cyprus has deteriorated thanks to our illustrious President, Haaretz.com, CNN and BBC daily on television, Hardball on weekends, Time and Newsweek magazines, Iranian blogs, Lebanese blogs. Egyptian blogs are boring now that one of the bloggers was jailed for 4 years because he supposedly insulted Islam and the President, so I skip those, B)

 

Rona

[Al_U_Card]

Mostly the voices in my head......at times they can be quite entertaining.....but they are often only worth what they cost :)

[Al_U_Card]

Actually, it is now mostly a mix of CNN.com international edition, CBC radio 1 and John Stewart. Kind of an eclectic mix but things being as bleak as they are, the element of humour does make the bitter pill a bit easier to swallow.