Democracy Now! is an independent, global news hour anchored by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González that airs on 1,300+ TV and radio stations in the United States and around the world. Democracy Now! website
Getting the real story?
By Roger Childs
Whatever the historical legacy of the Trump campaign and administration turns out to be, it will be remembered for two phrases: “fake news” and “alternative facts”.
So where can you get the stories you can safely believe? As for news on the United States, and the wider world, is concerned, you probably can’t do better than Democracy Now!
You can get a daily email with the latest. Check their website: https://www.democracynow.org/
Independent news
Like KIN, Democracy Now! doesn’t take advertising, so they are not beholden to the business world to shape their news coverage. If you join up, the daily service is free.
However, you can make donations if you wish.
Is this a propaganda machine churning out stories to keep those left, or right, of the political centre happy? Definitely not. Words like moderate, liberal, progressive, balanced come to mind.
Their approach is to use direct quotes in their articles, do some analysis and talk to major players and experts. Many of their stories are based on interviews as they search for the truth. Not easy in the current climate of dodgy communication!
Covering the field
Here is a sample of their stories for Thursday 16 February:
President Trump Not Committed to Israel-Palestine Two-State solution- Lawmakers Want Transcripts of Michael Flynn Russia Calls
- Report: Agencies Withhold Intelligence from Trump over Leak Concerns
- Senior General Warns U.S. Government in “Unbelievable Turmoil”
- Secretary of State Tillerson in Talks with Russian Counterpart
- Report: Russia Deploys Cruise Missile, Violating Arms Treaty
- Fast-Food CEO Andrew Puzder Withdraws as Labor Secretary Nominee
- Report: Pentagon Considers Deploying Ground Troops in Syria
- Yemen: U.S.-Backed, Saudi-Led Coalition Strikes Kill 10 Civilians
Iraq: Suicide Bomb Blast in Baghdad Kills 15, Wounds Dozens- Malaysia: Three Arrests in Murder of DPRK Leader’s Half-Brother
- Texas: ICE Agents Detain Immigrant Seeking Domestic Abuse Protection
- Colorado: Undocumented Mother Seeks Sanctuary in Denver Church
- Senate Set to Approve Tea Party Lawmaker as Budget Director
- Democrats Seek Delay on Scott Pruitt EPA Confirmation Vote
- Trump Science Adviser Candidate Calls Climate Science a “Cult”
- Standing Rock Sioux Sue for Halt to Dakota Access Pipeline
- Patients’ Advocates Seek Life-Saving Generic Hepatitis C Drugs
A lot depends on what the TV News channel’s agenda is: with TVNZ it’s to get as much advertising revenue as possible by boosting ratings as much as possible. Many will remember when its innovative TV7, which was devoted to indepth reporting, was terminated for not bringing in enough dollars. Many overseas channels put advertising revenue at the top of their priorities, too.
Well-known channels with a blatantly political bias include Al Jazeera, Fox News, CNN, the BBC, MSNBC, and alternatives like the one you talk about here. Those who have the time could spend 2 hours a day watching all of them to get a reasonably good appreciation of what is happening out there, some overall semblance of the truth – and try to decide what’s believable.