When I open up my web browser on my computer each day, I always go first to a news site—just to see if anything is on fire, so to speak. For a couple years now, that site has been CNN.com, not because I thought the people there had particularly good news sense, but just because the print stories were all laid out in well-sorted order, easy to look through.
The redesign of the CNN site has promoted all kinds of videos and junk features over that news, I can’t find the headlines I want to glance through any more. So I need a new site. What do readers here use for their news? if you’re going to visit only one general news site a day, which is it?
November 5th, 2009 | 3:26 am
I start with regional news. For me that is the Pacific NW. I read the Seattle Times and the now failing Seattle PI. I will check Google News. Then I check the Washington Times. I then seek out places such as the American Thinker, American Spectator, Catholic Exchange, SF Chronicle, and occaisionly Fox News. I will read the NY Times. I personally try to look at varied sources. I do not have one source I trust for the truth. Peace and God Bless
November 5th, 2009 | 3:33 am
Addendum. I began reading at about age 5. Readers Digest, Salt Lake Tribune. I have been a and continue to be a BIG advocate of reading. It is becoming a lost trait. My favorite newspaper of all time was the Denver Post. I read it religiously from 1983-1987. Balanced, objective. I have yet to find another. I think it speaks of our current cultural, societal climate. People do not read anymore. Decreased attention spans. Prefer instant digital in HD. Are we in downward spiral? Peace and God Bless
November 5th, 2009 | 6:03 am
I usually scan Google news, the Wall Street Journal (wsj.com), and take a 30-second look at the Drudge report (tabloid headlines, but frequently updated and easy to glance through very rapidly). For ten minutes of amusement, best of the web today on the opinion section at wsj.com.
November 5th, 2009 | 6:28 am
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November 5th, 2009 | 7:12 am
I suggest http://www.refdesk.com/ There is also an ad-free version giving you 500 pages of ad-free news. Refdesk keeps me away from the trivial.
November 5th, 2009 | 7:16 am
I agree with your evaluation of the new CNN site. It’s dreadful.
I use Google news, which I have configured to give me the main U.S. headlines at top (to check if there is any “fire”) and then news of interest to me (Catholic issues, technology, etc.).
November 5th, 2009 | 7:23 am
This is the beauty of using an RSS reader. I use Bloglines and with it one can still get just the headlines and none of the clutter from CNN (though I also look at Reuters and BBC – its so quick and easy there is no reason not to look at all three.)
November 5th, 2009 | 7:25 am
Use an RSS Aggregator Such as Google Reader, Bloglines, etc.
Subscribe to the RSS feed of the site you want (very easy), CNN, Fox News, Google News, etc.
The Aggregator displays a list of headlines which you can then click on to see the full story. Very efficient way to see the headlines without all of the media on so many pages that distract you. Aggregators also allow to bookmark stories to come back to later or just to retain for the future.
RSS has come a long way in ease of use and I have long found it invaluable in looking through the news in an efficient manner.
November 5th, 2009 | 7:53 am
http://www.realclearpolitics.com offers a sampling of major news articles, editorials, and interviews. The site is updated frequently.
November 5th, 2009 | 8:11 am
Without a doubt, BBC news online. news.bbc.co.uk
November 5th, 2009 | 8:15 am
I begin each day with the Telegraph and the Times of London, except Thursday and Friday when I begin with the opinion page of the WSJ. Then a scan of the NYT, and a brief look at Der Spiegel and, finally, I use Drudge to see what over-hyped meme has got the blogosphere’s underwear in a knot today.
November 5th, 2009 | 8:32 am
I enjoy realclearpolitics.com. Their editors compile the important editorial and news pieces of the day into one nice grouping. Liberal and conservative commentators are represented equally in their choices.
November 5th, 2009 | 9:14 am
There’s no reason you really have to limit yourself to one news source, though you’ll most definitely not want to visit news site after news site. That’s why I love Google News. It aggregates the top headlines from around the web and categorizes them, giving you what’s going on in one place. The selection and display is computer-generated so you don’t have to worry about one specific news outlet’s agenda. And you can create custom searches that display headlines matching it. For example, I have it display headlines matching “Christianity.” Lastly, since Google News can do its thing with almost any language you can use it to keep up with your foreign language skills by reading headlines in French or German or whatever.
November 5th, 2009 | 9:15 am
Lucianne.com The best round up of all news anywhere I have ever found.
November 5th, 2009 | 9:28 am
I know it’s heresy and all, but my “is anything on fire?” source of news isn’t American. I hit the BBC every morning. They’re far better than any domestic service on international coverage, and they actually dedicate a fair deal of coverage to American elections and the such.
November 5th, 2009 | 9:42 am
Drudge.
November 5th, 2009 | 10:43 am
You can just subscribe to CNN’s feed if you just want headlines. I subscribe to several news outlets that way and skim the headlines in my google reader and click on what I want to read further. It gives a pretty good view of the news of the day. If you subscribe to differently oriented outlets, it also gives you a glimpse into the biases by comparing the different headlines of the same story and how they’re worded.
November 5th, 2009 | 10:53 am
Let me second most of the above concerning the use of Google News and RSS headline feeds, but to stir things up, let me suggest an additional, well-organized source: http://www.foxnews.com/.
OK, now you can all jump on me. :-)
November 5th, 2009 | 11:13 am
I use Google news first and then Google reader to check my blogs.
November 5th, 2009 | 11:15 am
http://news.google.com
Though I’ve lately begun to take Jefferson’s advice more seriously:
“I have given up newspapers in exchange for Tacitus and Thucydides, for Newton and Euclid; and I find myself much the happier. “
November 5th, 2009 | 11:31 am
I have FoxNews as my home page, but this news site has been recommended to me:
http://www.newsfifty.com/
November 5th, 2009 | 12:09 pm
Wow. Thanks for all the advice. I visit RealClearPolitics every day, but I hadn’t counted it as the pure news site to look at first—since I go to it for the editorial aggregation it does. Now if only I were savvy enough to set up one of them there RSS thingys. . .
November 5th, 2009 | 1:29 pm
As others have said, use an RSS aggregator. I happen to use Google Reader.
Start with with an RSS feed for your local paper. Next, go with Drudge Report. Don’t laugh! I use an RSS feed for him because he sometimes has very questionable pix at the site, but he knows what’s hot. WSJ News is another feed. Drudge is generally favorable to conservative stories and will features news items your typically local liberal rag won’t have. You can also subscribe to the NY Times news feed. Just go in with your eyes wide open. I use their Obituaries and Education feeds.
I avoid the web sites themselves to skip the ads, the pictures, and the bad design.
HTH
November 5th, 2009 | 3:29 pm
I will gladly fly out to New York to help set up your RSS feeds for you. Maybe you should apply to the Obama administration for the funding. It could count as a “job created” for them. Heck, it could count as five jobs created.
November 5th, 2009 | 4:01 pm
I completely agree with your feelings about CNN’s new arrangement on its home page. Not only difficult to read through, but filled with trivial material to make it hard to see what is the REAL news.
November 6th, 2009 | 1:08 am
Lucianne has the most comprehensive US and world news always updated according to time zones for publication and without lots of junk like Fox and cute Drudge stories. It is also a balanced site with news from both Left and Right media sources.
I go to Lucianne and I also check Drudge and Fox. For weather I used NOAA and locally I scan the Chicago Tribune quickly.
November 6th, 2009 | 9:15 am
Hey John I am glad you endorsed Lucianne too. The other day when the site was down for fixing I went web surfing to find another online news site, I tried many and there just is no comparison to what Lucianne does. I also donate to her site when she has the bandwith beast drive because I feel like I should pay something for her work as I refuse to even buy my local paper. So all you people trust us if you want comprehensive news from every paper, including the BBC go check it out. I like to read the posts too. Informative.
November 6th, 2009 | 11:02 am
Many interesting recommendations.
You ask for one site, but a candid review of most of the recommended sites demonstrates that each of them is driven by its respective bias. Google is probably the most insidious. They have a clear and strong political bias but are unfortunately viewed as neutral by many people. Check out the site modifications they made to honor the 9/11 anniversary. The BBC is great for people who dislike Israel and dislike the United States.
The polarization that affects our country also affects the news web sites that present themselves as neutral providers. However, if you follow several of these sources, you can net out their respective baises. I use wsj.com, times of london, which is timesonline.co.uk/tol/news; foxnews.com; and cnn.com.
November 6th, 2009 | 11:37 am
Take a look at Headline Bistro for a digest of major headlines and commentary from a variety of sources.
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