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A free and truly independent press–
fiercely independent when necessary–
is the red beating heart of freedom and democracy.
Dan Rather

Don’t let anyone tear down our true media, the true news outlets.  The news, the media is just as important in a democracy as the House or the Supreme Court. They are part of the checks and balances of a democracy.   An interesting study from a couple of years ago on the most trusted news organizations found that Americans trust the BBC more than any American news source.  Imagine that.  We go outside of the U.S. in order to find news that we trust.  But most news sources have a slant.  Back in the day, we all used to wait to hear which political candidate a news source was backing.  Now, we bash them for it.  Oh, the times, (Times) they are a changing.

How Smart Are We?

One study by Fairleigh Dickinson University found those who listened to NPR answered more questions about the news correctly than any other category.  This included non-news watchers as well as those who primarily got their News from other stations such as Fox, CNN or MSNBC.  The sad thing is that the highest average correct answer is only 1.9 out of 4.  Not even half.

Free From Censorship?

If you’re wondering where you can get your news with the least amount of slant, then this post from Make Use Of, which is a technology website, might help.  Top 5 World News Websites Guaranteed Free From Censorship is an ambitious article with a click bait title.  You might agree with some, you might not agree with others.  I find that it’s best to get my news from a lot of different news sources so that I can make an informed opinion.  Yes, this includes listening to Fox News, which I then balance out with some MSNBC.  ABC, NPR, the BBC, and other actual news outlets are part of the mix.  Then I always try to cleanse my palate with some happy news

I started off this post with a quote from Dan Rather, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t include his new site News And Guts.

This is not a political blog, but since it is the week of our celebration of Independence, I wanted to give a shout out to the news for keeping the spotlight on our democracy and asking questions.  Yes, even asking questions that make politicians uncomfortable.  But since my blog is all about trying new things, I have a challenge for you.  If you only get your news from one source (the one that supports your ideology,) then I challenge you to try something new.  Try listening to the other side.