Talk Radio/YouTube/Nontrad News Sources

[CaptFun]

There’s already a thread on EWTN, which I enjoy but …

How many of you find yourself accessing news or commentary sites, listening to some talk radio personalities or watching YouTube videos posted by nontraditional News sites (including quality or entertaining blogs)?

I won’t share any of mine to start the thread, but would love to share some of my faves or an arresting news take du jour (of the day) once the pump is primed and the flow is rolling.

Your thoughts, contributions, even complaints of the ones you love to hate are welcomed (by me at least). Keeping within forum rules for sure.

http://www.liberatemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/personalcircuits1.jpg

 

[Rhubarb]

I’m cautious about news sources in general, but especially ‘non-traditional’ sources. All journalists have their biases, of course, but there are those whose job it is expressly to speak to certain biases. Conservative radio is a very visible example - it’s not meant to be a ‘news’ source. It’s commentary expressly designed to give an audience a very specific narrative. And that’s okay when it’s recognized as such. Specifically liberal sources are the same way, too. They serve up information that the audience wants to hear specifically in line with their tastes.

However, I think that a savvy media consumer can mitigate the damage and read past the purposeful spin. I think there’s a danger for those that aren’t careful to do this to slip into a group-think mentality, and that can be harmful.

 

[QuestLove]

There’s already a thread on EWTN, which I enjoy but …

How many of you find yourself accessing news or commentary sites, listening to some talk radio personalities or watching YouTube videos posted by nontraditional News sites (including quality or entertaining blogs)?

I won’t share any of mine to start the thread, but would love to share some of my faves or an arresting news take du jour (of the day) once the pump is primed and the flow is rolling.

Your thoughts, contributions, even complaints of the ones you love to hate are welcomed (by me at least). Keeping within forum rules for sure.

I generally read info, opinion, news etc. from all sources. I am, of course, aware that some sources are skewed but it is always interesting to read/hear an opinion contrary to mine.
I mostly read though and I do not really have a lot of time to the TV or radio. But when I do get some downtime I listen to podcasts of my favourite programs which are Science Friday (NPR) and Freakonomics.
I follow a few forums such as CAF and nerdfitness too.
Youtube can be a great resource. I use it for classes as well as for entertainment.

 

[CaptFun]

With the historic events of this past week, coupled with my summer vacation, I had the time to listen in to the takes of Rush Limbaugh on the Supreme Court Rulings.

His program has always been available only at a somewhat inconvenient time for working folks (out here in California it’s from 9 am to Noon), and generally doesn’t repeat later. Yet he’s been successful since the 1980s.

One thing I’ve always admired about the program is that, while most tuning in know that the program is not an “equal time” proposition and that Rush is a Conservative advocate (you will get a conservative take on the news mentioned) – quite often he accurately states the position of “the other side” just as they would put it.

He has a staff, and how much they prompt him with critical historical references that keep the show rolling is a question I don’t know the answer to - but it’s amazing to me how often I’ll have an “I forgot about that other thing from 5 years ago …” moment, when Rush provides the linkage between the old fact and the “just breaking” news stories of the day.

He’s pretty funny too … and is much more unpredictable in his moods than he is in his politics. I have rather enjoyed it when a “dittohead” caller gets on the air and gives the boilerplate conservative positions of the hour … and Rush, quickly adapting his personality into that of a concerned liberal, asking leading questions in an astonished tone and making the caller (who is sometimes flabbergasted at having to defend his/her positions on THIS show … and doesn’t know what Rush is doing) take a little infield practice on the questions he/she might get from their not-so-dittohead friends.

On the internet front, from time to time (also not as much as I used to) I check out what Michael Voris is saying on his Catholic YouTube Channel.

If boredom is ever defined as a disease … doctors might prescribe a session or two of these fellows as a treatment.

They’d probably have to list a litany of possible negative side effects to that though – like the TV commercials on drug products are compelled to do.

Who are your favorite or “love to hate 'em” personalities? < On that last bit, my teeth used to get on edge hearing the voice of the late Howard Cosell. Now that he’s gone, I almost miss the blood rush I got from the :bigyikes: " … Oh NO! Not HIM again …" I used to do. :hey_bud: