What's Really Going On?

The mainstream media are increasingly failing to provide investigative reporting, substantive analysis, and the broad range of information and views that citizens of a democracy need to develop informed opinions on the issues that matter.  Seduced by the lure of profits, aided and abetted by a political establishment that permits media monopolies without any commitment to public service in exchange, controlled by magnates (such as Rupert Murdoch) and investors with extreme, hypocritical, and self-serving right wing agendas (and subservient their advertiser's interests in any case), merged into powerful international conglomerates, many corporate media outlets have devolved to a mixture of shameless commercialism and propaganda.  This phenomenon has been amply documented and analysed by Robert McChesney, Norman Solomon, and numerous others, who have also put forth a call to action.  Several excellent, independent organizations are taking such action, including FAIR, (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, which publishes superb reports), and ACME (Action Coalition for Media Education, an activist group of media professionals, not to be confused with the also excellent Acme Klein Bottle company).  I urge you to read their stuff and support their efforts.  

Fortunately,  trustworthy sources of news, analysis, and scholarship on politically relevant issues can be found if you look for them.  What follows is an annotated list of sources I use regularly or am at least familiar with.  This list is certainly not comprehensive, although the sites listed will link you with many other resources and individual authors. Given my location, the emphasis is on the U.S.  I will make additions as appropriate.  Please send comments and suggestions to cfcid@eiu.edu.

Websites:

commondreams.org    A terrific site which gathers news stories and opinions from a wide variety of sources, both mainstream and alternative.  The range of sources includes highly regarded British and Canadian papers, such as the Guardian/Observer and the Globe and Mail, as well as English editions of other foreign news outlets.

ZNet    One of the liveliest left-wing sites on the Web.  Run by Michael Albert and the Z Magazine crew, this site leans heavily toward Albert's particular economic/political vision (participatory economics, or "parecon") and is definitely anti-capitalist (as opposed to liberal or populist).  I have no quarrel with that, but just so your forewarned. Although Albert and his collaborator, Robin Hahnel, are to be commended for advancing a thoughtful economic alternative, the emphasis on this particular alternative rather than a call for more general discussion is a bit annoying. That said, most of the ZNet site transcends this criticsm, as Albert and his colleagues are open to publishing debates with people ranging from Naomi Klein to David Horowitz.  Commentaries by many fine authors appear on the site, along with wide ranging discussions, and it has links to numerous other resources.  In the spirit of internationalism, the site even offers translations of many of its articles into a variety of languages!  For a small monthly fee, sustainers can participate in forums with well-known commentators such as Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn; sustainers also receive additional commentaries by email.  

The Center for Economic and Policy Research    The best source I know for solid data and critical analysis of political economy.  If they don't have it, they can find it for you, and they explain everything in terms anyone can understand. From the stock market bubble to the East Asian currency crisis, co-directing economists Mark Weisbrot and Dean Baker have been right about just about everything.  (Quite possibly the qualifier "just about" can be discarded.)

United for Peace and Justice     The place to go for what's happening in the contemporary (U.S) anti-war -- and pro-social justice -- movement.

This Modern Word, by Tom Tomorrow    Dead-on, informative cartoons and a great Weblog.  You can even buy Sparky the penguin underwear.

Journals and Newspapers:

Many of these also have Websites, from which some or all of their material can be accessed.  Many Websites have additional features not found in print.  I've linked the journal titles to the sites, when available.

The Nation     The oldest independent political magazine in the USA, The Nation still sets the standard for sophisticated political journalism, cultural criticism, and reviews of the arts.  It is one of the few papers that still spends money on real investigative journalism, and the results show it.  Recently, The Nation has moved left on the left/liberal spectrum, a welcome move in my opinion, but the departure of Christopher Hitchens was a loss.  (The addition of Naomi Klein is a compensating gain.)

In These Times    Livelier and punchier than The Nation, with shorter articles, ITT is great for those who want to know what's going on but don't have the patience for The Nation.  I gave it to my teenaged daughter for her birthday, and she reads it!  (So does everyone else in the house.)

The Hightower Lowdown    For fun-to-read, hard-hitting populist invective backed up by good (well, horrifying) factual information, there's none better than ol' Jim Hightower (except maybe fellow Texan Molly Ivins, but she doesn't have her own newsletter).  No one catches irony and throws it back in the faces of the powers that be like Jim.

The Guardian    Perhaps the best daily newspaper in the English language.  (Published in England, with corresponding emphasis in national news;  the international reporting is excellent.  Also publishes The Observer.)

Boston Review    An outstanding journal of politics and culture with many eminent contributors, each issue includes a forum on an important topic, debated by authors with wide-ranging points of view, always thoughtful and well-informed.  The Website is exceptionally well-designed.  Historian John Dower's article, "A Warning from History," in the current issue is a must read.  Published bimonthly at MIT.

The New York Review of Books    With scholarly writing of inspiring quality, this venerable intellectual journal presents book reviews so extensive they enable you to talk intelligently about a book without reading it.  (Of course, you should try to read some of the books, too!)  The reviews typically include political and economic works of current interest. In addition, there are always essays on current events.  A nice feature is that, like Boston Review, The New York Review does not come from a set political perspective and includes intelligent conservative opinions.  Intelligent conservative views are hard to find these days and raise legitimate issues that deserve serious consideration.  (Not to be confused with the New York Times Book Review, to which it compares as Guiness to Miller Lite.)

The Progressive Populist    The title says it all.  In its own words, "a journal from the heartland that believes people are more important than corporations."  Many great columnists gathered in one paper, including not only Hightower and Ivins, but also Huffington, Weisbrot, and many more.  The rural emphasis of this paper is a welcome perspective. I especially like the work of farmer and food activist Margot Ford McMillen, which I have not seen anywhere else.

Other progressive journals of note include:  Mother Jones, The Progressive, Le Monde Diplomatique (English version available), Monthly Review, and Z Magazine (see also ZNet, above; more generally see Z Communications).

It is also valuable to read quality conservative newspapers and journals, as well as the centrist newspapers of record, such as the New York Times.  The Wall Street Journal, which despite its loony editorial page has an excellent reporting staff, and The Economist come to mind.

Radio:

Democracy Now!     Amy Goodman's peerless news and issues program.  For stories you won't hear anywhere else (even though they're true), this is the show to listen to.

BBC    The BBC world service is invaluable.  Although beleaguered by the same corporate forces that afflict public broadcasting in the US, the BBC has held up much better.

Alternative Radio    Speeches from around the world by some of the greatest minds of our time.  Recent programs have included Noam Chomsky's speech to the World Social Forum in Porto Allegre, Brazil (which filled a stadium with an audience of 20,000), a debate about the impending war with Iraq, featuring journalist/poet Katha Pollit, essayist Peter Berkowitz, and Professors Rashid Khalidi  (Chicago) and Raymond Tanter (Michigan;  member of Ronald Reagan's National Security Council), and Nobel Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, former chief economist of the world bank, speaking on globalization.  Broadcast on WILL-AM (see below) Saturdays, 6-7pm.

WILL-AM    The University of Illinois' excellent public radio station (tune to 580 AM if you're near central Illinois) broadcasts several excellent locally produced shows, in addition to Alternative Radio.  David Inge, host of the call-in talk show Focus 580, is a fine interviewer and often invites interesting guests.  Robert McChesney hosts the excellent and aptly named call-in talk show Media Matters, Sunday at 1pm, Central Time.  All locally produced programming is archived on the Website.


Since I don't have a TV, I can't say anything about that medium.