Where Do You Go For Factual Unbiased News And Views ?

[jdinasia]

I LOVE Fox news! ...

it is like the WWE of news broadcasting! They report the nes (fair and balanced reporting for 10 seconds) and then COMMENT on the news for an hour --- strictly biased .. but very very fun!

[PattayaParent]

Al Jazeera is the best English speaking news channel in LOS.

Al Jazeera is a US military propaganda channel. Better to watch Al Jazeera in Arabic.

Agree with the rest of what you said though.

For the only really interesting bits of news in a British newspaper read the Sun http://www.page3.com/

[garro]

I can sleep better at night knowing that this man is looking out for my interests;

Edited March 26, 2008 by garro

[howtoescape]

Fox news? The mouthpiece for the Bush administration and the Republican National Party. I hope foreigners are not passing judgement on Americans based on the type of "news" seen on this channel.

Nope, just on what those Canadians tell us about you.

[Samuian]

channelnewsasia, bbc-world, Reuters, AP, internet news blogs... and lots of cross reading... for information

[khunandy]

Al Jazeera is the best English speaking news channel in LOS.

You can get any newspaper you want online, though most in England are a waste of webspace.

Why not give the mass media a miss and become ignorant to the social and political problems of the world, its one of the best aspects of leaving your motherland.

I have to agree about the Al Jazeera English news channel. I was introduced to it in a hotel that had no other English news channels and thought it was well balanced reporting on valid, interesting topics. I was very surprised as I expected a Muslim , sabre rattling broadcast. Others who have watched it agree with me that it was a breath of fresh air from the other three (BBC, CNN, FOX).

[khunandy]

Al Jazeera is the best English speaking news channel in LOS.

Al Jazeera is a US military propaganda channel. Better to watch Al Jazeera in Arabic.

How so? When I was watching it it wasnt pro Arab or pro American, just seemed to be fairer reporting.

[pampal]

TV news I prefer BBC. Although it's not as good as it used to be it is not as bad as some maintain. Some people accuse any media putting forth views that don't align with their's of being biased and politically slanted. But then some people cannot understand that there is always an alternative viewpoint.

Newspapers? Other than the Bangkok Post online, or hardcopy if I'm in Thailand, I rarely bother particularly with papers. Sometimes I'll hit the Telegraph website but mainly for the sports.

Anyone who thinks Al Jazeera is unbiased has gone way beyond cloud cuckoo land. Living proof that some journalists will sell their soul to the devil if the price is right.

:lol:

The job of a journalist is to report the news, not to put forth his/her viewpoint.

The same goes for the editors of news programs.

That is the problem with today's journalism.

Most ppl don't understand the bias present in these programs, and there are even ppl who automatically despise alternative media because they have Arabic or foreign sounding names.

[monty]

In my personal view, I must say Al Jazeera is pretty good.

They are definitely NOT liked in many Arab countries!

They have gotten in quite a lot of problems for expressing controversial views on Arab affairs, one time leading the Algerian to take some rather drastic measures by cutting power in large parts of their capital to stop their citizens to watch an Al Jazeera program!

However, they are still a business, and I think still partly funded by the Qatar government, so yes, their will be some hidden bias somewhere, as there will be with any news channel...

[stumonster]

for issues in the Asia region and beyond I like Asia Times online atimes.com

[polecat]

I can't believe so many people are saying they read a variety of papers/websites to get a rounded view. Where do you get the time? It reminds me of telling my mum that yes, I had washed behind my ears.

I read the Guardian website every day, peek at the Independent a couple of times a week and snigger at Private Eye on the rare occassion I buy it these days. Oh, and I believe every word I read.

[Ulysses G.]

Mad Magazine is a well-rounded news source for teenage boys.

[LaoPo]

Interesting thread !

Most of the previous posters are probably native UK/Ireland/US/OZ/NZ born/speakers/readers.

I am not, and being from a small country, I can NOT rely on my own language news reports, whether radio, television, newspapers, magazines or web, SO:

I TRY to find and get (hopefully) factual and unbiased news from several sources on a daily basis, like (not in particular order):

* Bloomberg (also lots of normal news, outside business news) although US coloured

* Reuters, also US influenced of course

* BBC website, which I find to be quite informative, also about lots of other countries but still a little coloured

* Frankfurter Allgemeine; a serious German newspaper but also website, quite 'straight'

* NZZ - Zurich based website, quite straight, but sometimes also coloured...of course

* CNN & BBC World news channels; CNN of course coloured as heck... BBC so-so but I don't have other access to English channels other than normal BBC channels.

* China Daily website, of course also coloured and influenced by Beijing

* Market Watch (Dow Jones) business news.

Personally I think billions of people around the world are heavily influenced by their local news sources, mainly newspapers and Television. That's because MOST people do NOT speak or read more than one (their own) language.

One (we) cannot blame them to look different upon the world than we do.

The Russians have a different opinion about Europe and the USA than someone from Sidney, London or Madrid.

The Americans have a different opinion about Europe, Russia and China than someone from Shanghai, Cairo or Rio de Janeiro

The Africans have a different opinion about South America than............................

We are ALL influenced and it's EXTREMELY difficult to find totally factual and democratic news if there is any.

LaoPo

[stumonster]

I can't believe so many people are saying they read a variety of papers/websites to get a rounded view. Where do you get the time? It reminds me of telling my mum that yes, I had washed behind my ears.

I read the Guardian website every day, peek at the Independent a couple of times a week and snigger at Private Eye on the rare occassion I buy it these days. Oh, and I believe every word I read.

how much is left in your newspapers once you have taken out the stories about the royals , press releases for television stars/movie stars soaps/shows and other feel good crap ?

if you ignore that stuff there is alot more reading time available

[Naam]

In my personal view, I must say Al Jazeera is pretty good.

They are definitely NOT liked in many Arab countries!

They have gotten in quite a lot of problems for expressing controversial views on Arab affairs, one time leading the Algerian to take some rather drastic measures by cutting power in large parts of their capital to stop their citizens to watch an Al Jazeera program!

However, they are still a business, and I think still partly funded by the Qatar government, so yes, their will be some hidden bias somewhere, as there will be with any news channel...

al-Jazeera TV (english) is an excellent and rather unbiased news channel whereas the arabic broadcast is quite often biased. the english website is however quite boring.

[Naam]

Nobody picked FOX news?

FAUX News is for the brain amputated.

[garro]

Nobody picked FOX news?

FAUX News is for the brain amputated.

You are obviously a minion of the axis of evil.

[jaideeguy]

For video coverage, I watch 'the daily show' with Jon Stewart and 'real Time' with Bill Maher.

for online news....nothing can beat Google news, which gives you a choice from 1,000's of sources for the same story. everything from Fox to Al Jezerra

[jumnien]

For entertainment, I watch the major news shows and read newspapers; to see what's going on in the world I go out into the world and see.

[Nysan]

I just found bbc channel 4 last week because the swedish newspage I usually read work so slow these days. I find bbc 4 exellent in all aspects. May I ask what profile the channel 4 have in UK? I mean I know what status the sun, herald tribune have and so on. But what semgent is mainly listening to bbc channel 4?

Edited March 26, 2008 by Nysan

[stumonster]

Nobody picked FOX news?

FAUX News is for the brain amputated.

You are obviously a minion of the axis of evil.

I think he is looking for a quick trip to udon to take part in a "special" camp - beware the black helicopters

[jonniebkk]

For many years, I was dedicated to the BBC's radio and TV news services. They were really head and shoulders above everyone else. However, over the past decade, the relentless creep of political correctness in their broadcasts has just become too much to take. I don't find their reports to be biased politically (conservative vs. liberal) so much as that their choice of stories to cover in the first place. It seams that every other story is about global warming, some starving kid in Africa, or exploited child labour in India. Also, all their special reports or documentaries also seem to be confined to these topics. These are important topics but they just run them into the ground. They take EVERYTHING too seriously and their Malthusian "the world is coming to an end" world view I've grown tired of hearing. In some ways, I think that CNN is now a more informative and has better production values to boot.

But for the most part, I find that my favorite sources of TV news and documentary programing are the programs of Deuch-Welle television (D-W TV), the German broadcaster, and the Australia Network to be the best. I don't have UBC but local cable in Pattaya. Every other hour of D-W TV is in English and the first half-hour is a world news broadcast, with the next 30 minute rotated between in-depth news or cultural program. All the shows are present well balanced news reports. It is a good "European" view of the day's news.

The Australia Network has morning and evening news programs, a late-nite day's news wrap-up show. There are also various documentary and in-depth news and interview shows during the week. These news programs give a more Asian slant on the news of the day. They also tend to cover the major news events that happen in Thailand IN ENGLISH...like when Taskin returned they covered it live. There is generally not much duplication between the D-W and Aussie news shows, except for the main world news, so they complement each other nicely.

El Jazerra English is also very good. Another perspective on the day's events...with lots of good coverage of SE Asia (being based in Kuala Lumpur). Sometimes tends to have a little too much on starving kids too (ala BBC) but overall, a very good effort.

Edited March 26, 2008 by jonniebkk

[Ulysses G.]

Excellent post jonnie!

[britmaveric]

ITV is the best. Watch Fox/Sky News and for truely unbiased I read the Reuters or AP wires.

[uptou]

I can sleep better at night knowing that this man is looking out for my interests;

I actually find this man a little scary,but i love to watch his shows for the drama,like when Donahue was a guest on there.I say shows,because i dont really think its news,its all about him.Theres just to much american flag waving going on.Fox news- largely egotistical hosts talking over the guests if they are not talking the right line,"I'm sorry we have to leave it there,but we'll be right back".

Lets face it if you want reliable,unbiased news,you go to the BBC,if you want entertainment go to FOX.

[Spee]

Where Do You Go For Factual Unbiased News And Views ?

It's probably easier to say where I don't go for factual unbiased news and views. It's a long and sleazy list:

CNN

ABC

NBC

MSNBC

CBS

PBS

USA Today

NY Times

Boston Globe

LA Times

Washinton Post

Reuters

The Telegraph

The Guardian

AP

As for the factual and unbiased news and views:

American talk radio, including

- Jason Lewis (http://www.ktlkfm.com/pages/jlewispersonality.html)

- Mark Davis (http://www.wbap.com/showdj.asp?DJID=1397)

- Rush Limbaugh www.rushlimbaugh.com (not unbiased to be sure, but definitely factual and accurate in reporting)

Also,

- Milton Friedman (www.ideachannel.tv)

- Walter E. Williams (http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/)

- The Drudge Report (www.drudge.com)

- NY Post

- The Sun

- Washington Times

- Discovery Channel

- National Geographic Channel

- History Channel

Edited March 26, 2008 by Spee

[Zpete]

I agree the BBC is not as good as it used to be. Their APac page is very poor and weeks out of date.

Not sure that its possible to be unbiased - everyone has some sort of agenda.

I think the best thing is to dip into as many sources as possible. I visit BKK post, Channel News Asia, CNN, BBC, Straits Times, etc. on a daily basis.

WHAT, you do not go to....

THE NATION?

[Jingthing]

I read (web)

Washington Post

The Economist

slate.com

sfgate.com

TV:

CNN

Fox

Al Jazeera

BBC

Daily Show

Colbert Report

Bill Maher

(I like to mix it up.)

Edited March 26, 2008 by Jingthing

[cophen]

I just found bbc channel 4 last week because the swedish newspage I usually read work so slow these days. I find bbc 4 exellent in all aspects. May I ask what profile the channel 4 have in UK? I mean I know what status the sun, herald tribune have and so on. But what semgent is mainly listening to bbc channel 4?

If you're talking about radio 4 it's mainly listened to by what's called in the UK the middle class. An excellent programme which coivers everything from Kierkegarrd to plate tectonics.

www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/

Edited March 26, 2008 by cophen

[ignis]

I find Al Jazeera English News the most up to date, I also watch BBC, but have found many times that 'breaking news' on Al Jazeera is not on BBC untill the next day.

Edited March 26, 2008 by ignis