Majority of my news consumption is focused on local. I subscribe to my local paper online and get the Sunday paper delivered. I’ll check the local subreddits 2-3x per week. Apple News subscription gives me access to the KC paper and between that and the Kansas Reflector I try to keep up on state legislation.
For National/International I would start with CNBC as I pay more attention to business news and markets than any type of cultural news concerns. The business aspects will pick up the major stories (wars, speaker) but leave out prison breaks or celebrity gossip type stories.
i don't know, Joe. I think LadiesMan42322136 seems like a trusted source!I will say I appreciate folks being in the community and you know I love y'all. But using the FFA with anonymous posters as a primary news source is not a good idea in my opinion.
1. How much news do you feel it's best to consume and why....
1. How much news do you feel it's best to consume and why....
I will give a professional media optics perspective on this.....If I had to train someone from pure scratch, with limited to no pathway towards current events, nor politics and was still likely very young, what I'd suggest is to
1) Expose yourself to everything in terms of information. This is valuable for immersion, and for later, pattern recognition.
2) Set aside X number of minutes a night, whatever is practical and available, and set a schedule to cover a different topic each night. Maybe Monday nights are where you cover all topics related to abortion, reproduction, and health care. Tuesdays is for gun rights, gun laws and gun control. Wednesdays is for free speech. Etc, etc. Maybe it's just 10 minutes a night. Or whatever makes sense. Over the course of a month, a year, a few years, that adds up. Visit different sources and assess hard facts.
3) Focus on self development, understanding healthy emotional boundaries, behavioral psychology and communication dynamics. OUTSIDE of things like the news, MSM etc, etc.
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln
Asking someone to search for the ideal news source is like asking someone where to find the easiest trees to cut down. You are better served "sharpening the ax", so to speak, so you can better negotiate any source or format you encounter.
Worth reading to start (again, this is a starting point) -
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Boundaries by Henry Cloud
The Six Pillars Of Self Esteem by Nathanial Braden
What Every Body Is Saying by Joe Navarro
4) If you want to know the tactics of effective writing to you, then you have to do more writing. If you want to know effective tactics in terms of video to you, then be in a position to make video. A good example is Sigmund Bloom and his podcast. He's gotten better. ( He also has some long term glitches that have never been corrected, but maybe the resource base isn't there to help him in that regard) I still listen to it on occasion. It takes time but you learn how to give a better interview, how to get a guest to talk about things that they might not be happy to talk about to start, how to escape when a situation arises where the conversation veers into a subject that's bad for the brand/business/etc. You get better at something by doing more of it. With structure.
When the PSF existed, I did high level consistent extensive coverage of breaking down what the media was saying, but the context of why they were saying it. It's because it's very likely I've written more professional level media copy than anyone here on this site. Ever. My thread topics shifted more towards exposing more high information pathways, thus many felt they were quasi blogs instead of typical forum discussion. No one sourced and attributed more than I did and I never stayed in one source location for very long. A lot of people attacked my thread topics, including even a Staff member, but they were actually instructive if people kept up and paid attention. Some will inevitably disagree, and I'm OK with that. As I've said before - The kind of world I want to live in includes people who can and do disagree with me. But you'll find some here don't align to that principle.
What I mean by "pattern recognition" is I can look at different news sites and publications and instantly break down what reactions they are trying to elicit from the readers or viewers. Not what they are saying on the surface, but the pure motive and who benefits the most if they achieve that end. Over time, with enough exposure, you see the patterns of baseline manipulation. How to shape how you feel about a certain subject based on how the information is curated.
Closing thoughts - This thread topic, why it was created, likely stems from what happened in the since locked thread that was political in nature. (I'm not getting into that topic) In effect, at least as it pertains to FBG, the blanket questioning of sources or dogmatic defense of some sourcing is a proxy attack. It's a way to, in many cases, I wouldn't say all, to circumvent being banned here while digging at someone who has an ideological disagreement. It's a way to call someone a liar without creating enough cause to hit the Report Button. There are people here who are intentionally obtuse on purpose. It's not really that much different than the problem with the "laughing emoji", some people, not all, will abuse what they can and as much as they can. One of your long time Staff members started a topic about what is a "good source" and what is a "bad source" and made a list. It was essentially codifying the ability to openly call people liars, without context, while the PSF existed. Why he did that or chose to do that is completely inexplicable. It's like giving a room full of arsonists a bunch of thermite grenades.
If you want to cease future arguments about "sources", the the simple path is to limit it to facts. I.E. no one can talk about intent. (For example, "The New York Times is a legacy publication and no one does it better so all your points are wrong and basically I'm calling you a liar while avoiding getting banned for it") Only point out facts ( i.e. "This source used photos that did not align to the actual incident with the time and place of said tragedy and here are the links to the articles/videos that discuss it") and allow people to decide for themselves. I recognize you don't want to micromanage that, but that you probably will have to in the future is based on all the reasons the PSF was shut down in the first place. But it was one of your guys, on your payroll, that codified the pathway to do it, so people have kept doing it. Maybe it's a good time to ask him what exactly he was thinking when he triggered that slippery slope in your house. But that's up to you.
Again, as I like to point out practical and logistical solutions - I'd suggest everyone who is starting to expose themselves to all kinds of sources and information. Set a schedule to tackle a subject a night , and when you see something interesting or something triggers interest, then TAKE NOTES. Write down your observations. Write down your questions.
Some will ask why even bother. Because it's a path not just for current events and politics, but for "soft skills" It makes you a better communicator and more effective in writing, negotiation, problem solving, diplomacy and resource management. Something I said in 2006 when I started on these forums is I don't want to provide better answers for people ( though sometimes, maybe often, I've done that) but I want to upscale people into the pathway to learn how to ask better questions.
In keeping with that, JJ Redick was a designated long range shooter in the NBA for a long time. He pointed out several times in interviews that he had to learn that sometimes it was selfish NOT to shoot the ball. To violate what he learned early on about keeping the ball moving. That there were times that he specifically was the high percentage shot and his teammates and coaches were working hard to generate that opportunity for him, and if he didn't shoot it, that he was hurting the team.
The "better question" for you is this - Everyone knows you want to see the best in other people. But does that individual pathway ever becomes selfish against the greater community good? Once you answer that question for yourself, I fully believe your enforcement style will align more to creating the vision of what you'd like this community to be in your most ideal sense.
I'm glad the PSF is gone. I've always said if people don't like what you are giving them, particularly for free, then give them nothing instead, see how they like that better. You gave everyone basically a "freebie" for what really was political discussion in a recent thread here for a couple of weeks, and some, not all, but some still couldn't keep it together and not turn it into a bullet festival. They begged for nothing, so I say give it to them.
Sharpen the axe in your hand first. Don't look for easier trees to cut down.
Joe, I will genuinely miss this place. Even when I finally run out of rope. For what it's worth.
In written media, the terms "experts say" and "according to experts" should go away. Say who the experts are and why we should listen to them. Most of us learned in fifth grade to distrust appeals to authority, and we are backsliding badly in this area.Here's a little exercise that, if not helpful, might at least prove cathartic.
If I could change one thing about the news ...
Anyone brought on to discuss the latest war/conflict would have the choice of either (1) being introduced with no "resume" provided (e.g., former Defense Secretary) or (2) full disclosure including, but not limited to, any financial ties to defense contractors. I think the cable news networks are the biggest offenders, but newspapers are also offenders (if only to a lesser degree).
What we get now is completely slanted. If someone wants to come on and advocate escalation, we should know that they financially benefit from, say, selling missiles to one of the combatants.
(And before anyone jumps in to say "freedom of the press", keep in mind we have truth in advertising and food labeling laws that require disclosure.)
Why is this a duty? I mean, there’s an unlimited amount of information to process, so why should I prioritize “news”?1. How much news do you feel it's best to consume and why. Tim Ferris recently had a guest on his super popular podcast that talked about being "News Sober" meaning he didn't consume news.
--- I feel that it is your duty to be "informed" - but you should only consume as much news as is healthy for you.
Why is this a duty? I mean, there’s an unlimited amount of information to process, so why should I prioritize “news”?1. How much news do you feel it's best to consume and why. Tim Ferris recently had a guest on his super popular podcast that talked about being "News Sober" meaning he didn't consume news.
--- I feel that it is your duty to be "informed" - but you should only consume as much news as is healthy for you.
It facilitates informed voting, sure. Or I can just cram immediately before elections. But day-to-day existence?
To be clear, I’m not advocating living in ignorance. I read journals related to my job, articles on my hobbies, and look up random topics all the time. I also read threads here, and talk to other people, most of whom consume the news.
I just don’t see much value in being involved with the politics du jour, or inundating myself with the usual badness which makes headlines. All that stuff detracts from quality of life imo, and largely won’t be impacted by my involvement.
Other than feeling informed, what concrete benefits do you derive from being news-savvy?
"Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights."
Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, January 8, 1789
You think Jefferson would approve of the mix of contemporary media from which most people are informed?Why is this a duty? I mean, there’s an unlimited amount of information to process, so why should I prioritize “news”?1. How much news do you feel it's best to consume and why. Tim Ferris recently had a guest on his super popular podcast that talked about being "News Sober" meaning he didn't consume news.
--- I feel that it is your duty to be "informed" - but you should only consume as much news as is healthy for you.
It facilitates informed voting, sure. Or I can just cram immediately before elections. But day-to-day existence?
To be clear, I’m not advocating living in ignorance. I read journals related to my job, articles on my hobbies, and look up random topics all the time. I also read threads here, and talk to other people, most of whom consume the news.
I just don’t see much value in being involved with the politics du jour, or inundating myself with the usual badness which makes headlines. All that stuff detracts from quality of life imo, and largely won’t be impacted by my involvement.
Other than feeling informed, what concrete benefits do you derive from being news-savvy?
"Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights."
Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, January 8, 1789
I think most people realize they have to sort through the bs. I also think they had bad journalism in the 18th century too. Jefferson didn't tell people to bury their heads in the sand then and I don't think he's would day that now either.You think Jefferson would approve of the mix of contemporary media from which most people are informed?Why is this a duty? I mean, there’s an unlimited amount of information to process, so why should I prioritize “news”?1. How much news do you feel it's best to consume and why. Tim Ferris recently had a guest on his super popular podcast that talked about being "News Sober" meaning he didn't consume news.
--- I feel that it is your duty to be "informed" - but you should only consume as much news as is healthy for you.
It facilitates informed voting, sure. Or I can just cram immediately before elections. But day-to-day existence?
To be clear, I’m not advocating living in ignorance. I read journals related to my job, articles on my hobbies, and look up random topics all the time. I also read threads here, and talk to other people, most of whom consume the news.
I just don’t see much value in being involved with the politics du jour, or inundating myself with the usual badness which makes headlines. All that stuff detracts from quality of life imo, and largely won’t be impacted by my involvement.
Other than feeling informed, what concrete benefits do you derive from being news-savvy?
"Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights."
Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, January 8, 1789
Jefferson lived in an age where it took weeks for news to spread. Different era. People who follow politics today tend to get swept up in minutiae that varies from cycle to cycle.I think most people realize they have to sort through the bs. I also think they had bad journalism in the 18th century too. Jefferson didn't tell people to bury their heads in the sand then and I don't think he's would day that now either.You think Jefferson would approve of the mix of contemporary media from which most people are informed?Why is this a duty? I mean, there’s an unlimited amount of information to process, so why should I prioritize “news”?1. How much news do you feel it's best to consume and why. Tim Ferris recently had a guest on his super popular podcast that talked about being "News Sober" meaning he didn't consume news.
--- I feel that it is your duty to be "informed" - but you should only consume as much news as is healthy for you.
It facilitates informed voting, sure. Or I can just cram immediately before elections. But day-to-day existence?
To be clear, I’m not advocating living in ignorance. I read journals related to my job, articles on my hobbies, and look up random topics all the time. I also read threads here, and talk to other people, most of whom consume the news.
I just don’t see much value in being involved with the politics du jour, or inundating myself with the usual badness which makes headlines. All that stuff detracts from quality of life imo, and largely won’t be impacted by my involvement.
Other than feeling informed, what concrete benefits do you derive from being news-savvy?
"Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights."
Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, January 8, 1789
Maybe I should have been more clear. I was trying to articuate that people have a duty, to as you say, not be ignorant. I think a lot of people are just walking around completely unaware of what is going on in the world. "Oh, Russia and Ukraine are fighting?" Like in those "JayWalking" type of videos where they ask random people on the street really basic questions, like, "Name a country on this map" and they can't do it - I think it is our duty to be above that level of ignorance and lack of awareness.Why is this a duty? I mean, there’s an unlimited amount of information to process, so why should I prioritize “news”?1. How much news do you feel it's best to consume and why. Tim Ferris recently had a guest on his super popular podcast that talked about being "News Sober" meaning he didn't consume news.
--- I feel that it is your duty to be "informed" - but you should only consume as much news as is healthy for you.
It facilitates informed voting, sure. Or I can just cram immediately before elections. But day-to-day existence?
To be clear, I’m not advocating living in ignorance. I read journals related to my job, articles on my hobbies, and look up random topics all the time. I also read threads here, and talk to other people, most of whom consume the news.
I just don’t see much value in being immersed in the politics du jour, or inundating myself with the usual badness which makes headlines. All that stuff detracts from quality of life imo, and largely won’t be impacted by my involvement.
Other than feeling informed, what concrete benefits do you derive from being news-savvy?
Elon on Rogan discussing Twitter is an interesting listen.
Yea, start at 41:55. Elon's thought was that Twitter was a confluence of Far Left ideology having the mechanism to project to the world via Twitter, somewhat unintentionally. They just happened to be in the right area. Basically San Francisco/Berkley is about a 10 mile square area that is far left but had the ability to project that ideology to the world because Twitter was based there and so influenced what was being done there. I haven't listened to the whole podcast yet so he may elaborate further but the 10 minutes or so he discussed it were very interesting.Elon on Rogan discussing Twitter is an interesting listen.
I bet. I saw yesterday he was teasing it. I'll try to find time to listen. That's the trouble with Rogan for me is it takes so long.
Do you have a cliff notes summary for what he said?
Yea, start at 41:55. Elon's thought was that Twitter was a confluence of Far Left ideology having the mechanism to project to the world via Twitter, somewhat unintentionally. They just happened to be in the right area. Basically San Francisco/Berkley is about a 10 mile square area that is far left but had the ability to project that ideology to the world because Twitter was based there and so influenced what was being done there. I haven't listened to the whole podcast yet so he may elaborate further but the 10 minutes or so he discussed it were very interesting.Elon on Rogan discussing Twitter is an interesting listen.
I bet. I saw yesterday he was teasing it. I'll try to find time to listen. That's the trouble with Rogan for me is it takes so long.
Do you have a cliff notes summary for what he said?
That's probably enough to get this thread locked up so I'll leave it there but it's an interesting take I haven't heard before.
Might have been you but somebody this week recommended 1440 in a thread I was reading so I signed up. Like it, quick and conciseCheck the morning brew and 1440 newsletters.
Really good cross section of news--not politics.
News: not the same as politics. I get why people think this. It does not have to be that way.
Definitely check out the Morning Brew one. It feels weird to recommend an email blast, but I much prefer skimming the emails to negotiating with the news sites we are most familiar withMight have been you but somebody this week recommended 1440 in a thread I was reading so I signed up. Like it, quick and conciseCheck the morning brew and 1440 newsletters.
Really good cross section of news--not politics.
News: not the same as politics. I get why people think this. It does not have to be that way.
Check the morning brew and 1440 newsletters.
Really good cross section of news--not politics.
News: not the same as politics. I get why people think this. It does not have to be that way.
Definitely check out the Morning Brew one. It feels weird to recommend an email blast, but I much prefer skimming the emails to negotiating with the news sites we are most familiar withMight have been you but somebody this week recommended 1440 in a thread I was reading so I signed up. Like it, quick and conciseCheck the morning brew and 1440 newsletters.
Really good cross section of news--not politics.
News: not the same as politics. I get why people think this. It does not have to be that way.
The Sunday shows are good for two things: what the political machines/government administrations want us to focus on (along with their opinions), and a heads up on the speaking points they are putting out there. Right or left, it's fascinating to me to see or hear trending stories from various sources and connect them to the obvious partisan talking points. It really is fascinating, and also is great in helping to discern bias in the media on both sides.I'm more of a political news guy. I watch barely any during the week beside my twitter feed and this board. I watch most of the Sunday morning news shows- fox, abc, meet the press. I like to see shows where there are people from both sides. I also will partake in a little Bill Maher on Fridays. I find him interesting because he's gone from a typical one-sided liberal to often brutally attacking some of the left's current world views.
What you may want to do is make or find a group on X that is just nba media/sportswriters. That will keep you from the other drivel. I do like X a lot for news, but they have to be trusted sources. It’s really easy to go down that rabbit hole on there.I had been dipping my toe back into Twitter/X recently (mostly due to the NBA starting back up).
I then got sucked into some non-sports stuff and just deleted my account last night. The consistent "anyone can say anything as though it is an irrefutable fact" and it immediately gets supported by 100's of others gets a little old to deal with. There is also some algorithm stuff that really limits who can see your posts if you are a new account. My replies were getting little to no response or even views and then because I replied to certain types of posts (to try and refute them) my feed gets bombarded with similar takes and it quickly became overwhelming to read the same insane garbage over and over. Maybe if I had kept my old established account it would be better? But I deleted that account months ago as well because it was becoming unhealthy for me. I like the concept and was originally in favor of Musk's changes, but it has spiraled out of control, IMO.