Finding a System for Staying Informed
Clark College political science professor Michael Ceriello knows that finding a reliable, objective source of current information and getting into the habit of paying attention to current political events can be a challenging task, but he believes it's worth the effort.
Professor Ceriello encourages discussing and analyzing current political issues in his classes. He recommends that his students find one or more news sources that work for them (the more the better) and make a habit of reading/listening/watching. He offers these recommendations to help students navigate the vast landscape of news sources.
- Radio is, in many ways, easiest. Try National Public Radio (NPR)/Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB).
- Most Americans get their news from television. Try to stay away from the typical network and local morning and evening news, which is mostly fluff and commercials. Instead, try the NewsHour on OPB/PBS.
- If reading the news is your preference, Time magazine or The Week are fine, but weeklies tend to focus on broad topics and often lag in reporting current news. If you can, read a daily newspaper, the bigger the better: The New York Times, The Washington Post, or USA Today are best for national and international coverage. The Oregonian, The Seattle Times, or The Columbian are okay.
- All the sources listed above have good websites and apps, as do all of the other mainstream media that come to mind (CNN, ABC, BBC, etc.).
- Web portals such as Yahoo and MSN have good news pages. Also try Google News.
- There are many good political websites. Try RealClearPolitics, Politico, and for a humorous take on the day’s political news, Fark.com/politics.
- Some great sites for daily political/election news: The New York Times’ Politics section and The Upshot; and The Washington Post’s Politics section, The Fix, and Monkey Cage.
- “Fake news” has obviously been in the news a lot. It is probably best to avoid getting your news on Facebook, etc...
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... and to avoid taking some sites seriously as new sources; examples include Rush, Hannity, Beck, O’Reilly, or the like
Be Aware of Bias
Professor Ceriello cautions students to be aware of the political bias of many news sources and offers these web sites as examples:
On the conservative side:
- Fox News, the Washington Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Review, The Weekly Standard, Breitbart News Network, WND, Newsmax, The Blaze, RedState, American Thinker, New York Post, CNS News, Townhall, and Drudge Report
On the liberal side:
- Our thanks to Clark College Professor Michael Ceriello for graciously sharing this information.
Clark College political science professor Michael Ceriello knows that finding a reliable, objective source of current information and getting into the habit of paying attention to current political events can be a challenging task, but he believes it's worth the effort.