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You are here: Home / Open Threads / What’s Missing and What Shouldn’t Be There?

What’s Missing and What Shouldn’t Be There?

by | 178 Comments

This post is in: 

Here’s the list I compiled from input in yesterday’s post.

Goodbye NYT & WP, Hello… ?

I think I included everything except suggestions related to mainstream media.  I removed The Guardian because I hate the idea of promoting an anti-trans news source on our list of alternate media sources.  If you anyone wants to argue either of those choices, I’m listening.

And if your suggestion isn’t on there, it’s likely because I missed it, so please call it to my attention.

I’m not sure about all the local news.  Thoughts?

Also, please let me know if you think I have something listed under the wrong category.

Also, also, for BlueSky I think we should limit it to the best NEWS sources there, and not include interesting people, who can be found with the various lists on BlueSky.  I have no idea what news people are on BlueSky, so we could really use your help on that.

Also, also, too, I should say that I’m not worrying about order in a particular group until the list is mostly complete.

Alternate Media Sources – Draft

Alternate Media Sources was last updated in December of  2024.

Independent News 

ProPublica
Mother Jones
Talking Points Memo
Democracy Docket
Democracy Now
Rewire

Substack

Harry Litman
Heather Cox Richardson
Paul Krugman
Wonkette
Timothy Snyder
Oliver Willis
Brian Buetler Off Message
Will Leitch
James Fallows
Aaron Rupar’s Public Notice
Jay Kuo
Joyce White Vance
Robert Hubbell’s Today’s Edition
The Downballot
Ian Dunt Striking 13  (UK focus)
The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak  (in-country Ukraine focus)

Blogs

Bolts Media
Terry Kanefield
Electoral-Vote.com
Daily Kos
Marcy Wheeler
Digby’s Hullabaloo
Charlie Pierce  (paywall)
Majority Report with Sam Seder  (blog & podcast)
Techdirt  (tech focus)

News

Plain Dealer aka Cleveland Plain Dealer  (news)
Philly Inquirer  (news, non-profit)
Baltimore Banner  (news, non-profit)
Middle East Eye  (news, Middle East focus)
Recombobulation Area  (news, Wisconsin focus)
High Country News  (news, West focus)
The Cascadia Advocate  (news, Pacific Northwest focus)

YouTube

Politics Girl  (YouTube)
Meidas Touch  (YouTube)
Brian Tyler Cohen  (YouTube)

Political Podcasts

The Professional Left   (podcast)
Daily Beans  (podcast)
Law and Chaos w/ Liz Dye and another  (podcast)
Belle of the Ranch  (podcast / YouTube)

BlueSky

Christopher Webb   (BlueSky)
Sherrilyn Ifill   (BlueSky)
Joyce White Vance  (BlueSky)

Reader Interactions

178Comments

  4. 4.

    WaterGirl

    @linnen: You make a good point – anything that’s paywalled should be marked as such.  I updated the Charlie Pierce line

    edit: do you know how many free articles you get per month?  I just clicked to see about the paywall and it said that was my last free article this month. Not sure if I have clicked on any before this month, so I’m wondering.

  6. 6.

    Barbara

    I ignore all pleas to stop reading anything on the basis it offends someone. Even NYT. I don’t care what anyone thinks but I do welcome suggestions for additional reading material. I’ve been ignoring people who don’t like me because I’m too smart/insufficiently deferential/don’t use make up/ talk too much etc. MY WHOLE LIFE. Why should I break the habit of a lifetime to placate people I don’t know IRL, especially nitwits who don’t understand the extent of them own privilege?

    Back to the festival of lessons and carols.​
    ​
    ​

  8. 8.

    Barbara

    While the Guardian drives me nuts sometimes it is not behind a pay wall and it is a genuine news operation.

  9. 9.

    narya

    Pierce is $25/year, so not terribly expensive; he’s one of my long-term faves.

    For podcasts, I find Strict Scrutiny to be extremely valuable in understanding WTF the SCOTUS is doing, the history of this or that case, etc. I’ve dipped into Amicus (Dahlia Lithwick) as well, but a lot of it is paywalled (Slate). I also like Serious Trouble (Ken White/Popehat and Josh Barro), even when I disagree. Sometimes Harry Litman’s  Talking Feds is good, though I always check who the guests are before listening. I’ve also appreciated Andrew Weissman and Mary McCord on Prosecuting Donald Trump; again, I don’t always agree, but their history with DOJ makes them useful in understanding stuff.

    For non-political podcasts, Gastropod is interesting, as is America Dissected (a public health podcast).

  10. 10.

    Elizabelle

    @Barbara:  The Guardian does some excellent reporting on climate change.  And they are hopelessly naive about US politics, and love piling on Democrats.  It is to cringe.  Will not give than any more $$ than NPR (which is, zero).  But they do put up some worthwhile stuff.  Plus, archives back to WW2 and maybe earlier.

    And:  Ozark Hillbilly liked The Guardian a lot.  Remember how he would often post articles in the morning thread?

    The BBC site is free.  Watch out re US news — I think their partner is CBS, and you can be sure of a GOP spin in the early reporting.

    But:  a lot of excellent articles on culture and travel, and countries that other newspapers don’t cover much.

    I don’t read it (yet), but suspect El Pais and some of the Spanish papers might be interesting.

    And what about some Canadian ones?  They can be rather cleareyed about the melodramatic adolescents to their southern border.

  11. 11.

    Suzanne

    For podcasts, I will once again recommend Past Present Future for political topics and ideas, not necessarily American, more thematic. Mr. Suzanne likes Trial Balloon. I also deeply enjoy 99% Invisible, which is not explicitly political — it’s ostensibly about the built environment — but there’s a ton of political issues entailed and discussed. I also think Sarah Longwell’s Focus Group podcast is a worthy listen, even when you want to tear your hair out. (Can’t provide another link, but it’s easy to find.)

  12. 12.

    SleepyMonster

    You know, for The Guardian, I never read anything but their war and politics news, so I wasn’t aware they had an anti-trans bent. So, thankyou. If they’re like that, i wouldnt want them up there either!

  13. 13.

    Eunicecycle

    @WaterGirl: I think it’s just one now. It used to be 3, but every time I click on him now I get the “this is your last article” message.  The $25 subscription seems reasonable.

  15. 15.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    Other, old school blogs to (re)consider:

    driftglass

    The Rude Pundit

    Progress Pond

    Independent News:

    Truthout

    This site lists a slew of “independent” news outlets, meaning they’re left leaning:

    localfutures.org/action-resources/independent-media-list/#1590166805746-214b06ff-7736

    I’m familiar with a lot of them but to be honest, don’t read many of them “cover-to-cover” so hesitate to offer opinions on their relative merit.

  16. 16.

    Other MJS

    Add John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight! Despite being an HBO thing, the “main story” of each episode (and occasionally the entire show) is free on YouTube. In addition to being hilarious, the pieces are well-researched “explainers”.

  17. 17.

    frosty

    I subscribe to and read the Grauniad but I don’t mind if you don’t want to include it. Most every time I open it up I hear Tony Jay in the back of my mind: “FTFGuardian”.

  19. 19.

    zhena gogolia

    Nice list. Unfortunately I can’t read anything right now. I subscribed to Josh Marshall because of advice here, but I can’t read it. I’ve been on Heather Cox Richardson for a long time but I can’t read her. It all makes me nauseated.

  20. 20.

    Ohio Mom

    What, no LGM?

    Some of these writers I follow on Blue Sky: Josh Marshall, Aaron Rupar, Rude Pundit. That gives me enough of an idea of what has caught their eye and their takes on the news.

    I am really pacing myself these days because there is only so much doom and gloom I can take. I have a mood to protect.

  21. 21.

    rosalind

    The American Prospect (TAP). Editor David Dayen and his team produce many great long-form pieces as well as regular daily columns. TAP is often way ahead of other media in their reporting. No paywall.

    prospect.org

  22. 22.

    Anonymous At Work

    I’m behind adding The Guardian.  If you want to add a warning, that’s fine.

    Jay Rosen and Dan Froomkin are good additions.

    Kevin Drum’s posts are wishy-washy at times but he does provide evidence and links to decent places.  And why not LGM?

  23. 23.

    Steve LaBonne

    @frosty: It’s quite funny that their domestic political slant is stolidly Starmerite / LibDem but they hired a bunch of tankies to comment on US politics. Multiple personality disorder.

  25. 25.

    SleepyMonster

    I don’t use them often, but what’s everyone’s opinion on AP News ? If we’re looking for something more like a mainstream news source to put up. Or are they just mainstream full stop? They have been around forever,  that’s for sure.

  26. 26.

    frosty

    @WaterGirl: The Inky and the Banner are paywalled also. I suspect all the sites in that category are. If so, you could add (paywall) in the heaer.

    Law and Chaos: Delete “Liz Dye and another”, it’s not part of the name. Looks like it’s on Substack too and most of the content requires a subscription, unlike Krugman et al.

    Banner: thebaltimorebanner.com/

    Inquirer: inquirer.com/ (Change Philly to Philadelphia?)

    This is nice work. Thanks for taking it on.

  28. 28.

    goldengirl

    @WaterGirl
    Talking Feds Substack (Harry Litman) TALKING FEDS is a series of dispatches from the front of a constitution in crisis; Litman explains how the maneuvers of Trump and his circle transgress constitutional norms and threaten national security and the rule of law.
    Steve Vladeck Substack (A weekly newsletter aiming to make the Supreme Court’s rulings, procedures, and history more accessible to all)
    Meidas Touch Substack (curious why this wasn’t included) The fastest growing independent news network in the world. We cover breaking news, politics, law and more. We are unapologetically pro-democracy. Because TRUTH is golden.

  30. 30.

    frosty

    @Elizabelle: ​And [the Guardian] are hopelessly naive about US politics, and love piling on Democrats. It is to cringe.

    Perfect description of what I dislike about them.​

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    @Barbara: @SleepyMonster:

    Here’s what I wrote up top about the Guardian:

    I removed The Guardian because I hate the idea of promoting an anti-trans news source on our list of alternate media sources.  If you anyone wants to argue either of those choices, I’m listening.

    For those who think The Guardian is essential and should be included, I would love to hear your thoughts relative to what I wrote up top.

    I picture being Sister Golden Bear, for instance, and think about how I would feel seeing an anti-trans entity on the Balloon Juice list.

    If folks can weigh in, I would love to see us talk this through.

  32. 32.

    Sure Lurkalot

    Seconding Dan Froomkin, Jay Rosen (BlueSky) and Rude Pundit (blog). Also Kevin Kruse (BlueSky)..

  33. 33.

    Shane in SLC

    I have questions about the Guardian’s anti-trans bent. Atrios went on about this a while back, and I did read some interviews with the new editors a couple of years back that raised eyebrows. But I went through the Guardian archives and searched for anti-trans news or editorial content, and really couldn’t find anything that seemed alarming to me. Mostly it was coverage of right-wing campaigns against trans people. And I read the Guardian pretty much daily and don’t see the evidence of the anti-trans bias there. Maybe I’m just thick and missing something?

    Anyway, the Guardian is a genuine international news gathering institution with an army of trained investigative journalists stationed all over the world. The bloggers and substackers on the list are great, but they can’t provide that.

  34. 34.

    twbrandt

    Another tech-focused blog that does outstanding work is 404 Media. It was founded and is owned by four long-time tech journalists who previously worked at Motherboard and Vice before it became terrible. They are entirely sustained by subscriptions.

  35. 35.

    WaterGirl

    @goldengirl: Everything on the list was suggested by commenters yesterday in the post, except for one i personally added.

    So the list doesn’t reflect editorial choices – other than the two I listed up top in this post.

    That’s why I asked for more ideas today, because not everyone reads every post.

  37. 37.

    scav

    There’s not going to be a 100% pure,  doesn’t offend anyone on any issue news source — they’re all going to have weaknesses and idiocies and getting the wrong end of the stick sometime.  There’s no avoiding our having to be better readers.  I’d rather a list that spelled out some of the known weak spots of generally good sources, rather than arbitrarily tossing entirely some (The Guardian) while leaving others (Reddit) for reasons left opaque to us.  Alas, more work that way, and still imperfect as we likely won’t agree on imperfections!

  39. 39.

    KatKapCC

    One more Substack to consider is Ruth Ben-Ghiat (her Substack is called Lucid). The tagline on the about page is “Big-Picture Thinking about Threats to Democracy around the World”. She’s a historian and an expert on fascism and authoritarianism, and I have found her work really insightful as far as how to spot creeping authoritarianism and how to defend against it.

  40. 40.

    Starfish (she/her)

    @goldengirl: Harry Litman is a good call.

    For independent news, I think we should do Texas Observer.

    For YouTube, we should probably add Legal Eagle.

    For podcasts, someone here mentioned Sisters in Law and that has been good.

    Just Security is an online magazine that covers international news. I am not sure where it fits or if it fits.

  41. 41.

    Chief Oshkosh

    You might consider adding Vic Meyers Old White Guy from YouTube. I don’t agree with everything he says, but he provides practical activities that most anyone can take up, and he’s a do-er, not just a gadfly (not that there’s anything wrong with that…)

    youtube.com/@vicmeyers1243

  42. 42.

    Bill Arnold

    @SleepyMonster:

    I don’t use them often, but what’s everyone’s opinion on AP News ?

    I use google news as an aggregator (World feed, mostly, but the other subfeeds are OK).
    If, in an auto-generated news item category, there is an AP link, it is my first choice. Also Reuters. Also aljazeera.
    With an unfamiliar outlet, I read the summary at a place like mediabiasfactcheck.com/ – and sometimes do more digging.

    Re the top post request, I suggest adding the text mode version of cnn, lite.cnn.com/ – it is one clickable headline per text line, and the link is to a text-mode version of the article. Especially useful on a phone or tablet.

  43. 43.

    hoytwillrise

    @Barbara: Yes; this. People spending their time monitoring what others are doing, ‘don’t do this, don’t read that’ etc need to take a tip from Tim Walz & mind their own business.

  47. 47.

    KatKapCC

    @Shane in SLC: Not long ago, they ran a couple of editorials that were against banning trans conversation therapy. Meaning, they thought trans conversion therapy was okay. They’ve done a number of “gender critical” (aka TERF) pieces, too.

    Here’s one piece about the issues.

  49. 49.

    Steve LaBonne

    @KatKapCC: Very much in the same territory as FTFNYT I would say. The general climate of “liberal” opinion on issues important to trans people is not great in the US and probably somewhat worse in the UK.

  50. 50.

    luc

    The Guardian reporting is professional, concise, and complete, always very much up-to-date. By professional I mean separating news from opinion, for example. More facts, less spin.

    I have not the slightest clue how people came up with the idea that they have an anti-trans mission. Never noticed anything about. The idea seems absurd quite frankly.

  54. 54.

    Starfish (she/her)

    @WaterGirl: If you removed every place that has given Jesse Singal money, the number of things you would have left to read would be deeply limited.

    I would turn the question on its head and say, “Has any institute of journalism been supportive of trans-folks?” And then definitely include that one.

  55. 55.

    UncleEbeneezer

    I highly recommend the Unpacking Israeli History podcast for a great political podcast that really illustrates how much more complex the I/P conflict is than your average Progressive writer/pundit/activist/podcast would lead you to believe and how important it is to understand that complex history.

    Some of my fave episodes: Is Israel An Apartheid State? (two parts), What is Zionism? (two parts with Haviv Rettig-Gur), Hamas Explained, Oslo: The Peace That Wasn’t, and the three-part series on October 7th (though major trigger warning for that one).  But honestly, they are all pretty good so far.  Great show.

  56. 56.

    WaterGirl

    @frosty:

    The Inky and the Banner are paywalled also. I suspect all the sites in that category are. If so, you could add (paywall) in the header.

    First thought: what the hell are the Inky and the Banner?  Then I figured it out.

    But those two say “non-profit” – so how can they be paywalled?  So you can’t see those unless you have a subscription?

  57. 57.

    Scamp Dog

    @Anonymous At Work: I’m effectively a fan of that site. They are great in their areas of expertise, but they have no clue about effective politics, and are never in doubt, even when proven wrong.
    But I learn a lot from the Eric Visits an American Grave series, and from what he writes on labor issues, so I keep reading.

  58. 58.

    HinTN

    For local Tennessee-centric information, there’s the Tennessee Holler (tnholler.com/).

    We’re an independent, reader-supported site that depends entirely on you to help us keep holding our public officials accountable and “Yelling the Truth”

  59. 59.

    dm

    @twbrandt:

    Here’s another vote for 404 Media.  As twbrandt says, it’s tech-focused, but, like Pro-Publica, they have enormous impact — the path from a 404-media report to proposed legislation to deal with a problem is often pretty short.

    Supporters get great additions to their podcast, too.

    I was busy yesterday, so missed the discussion.  I assume the Pod Bros aren’t included because …. of reasons that will probably only provoke a fight here in the comments, no matter how I phrase it.  Still, their morning news podcast, now with Jane Coaston, is great, as is their Pod Save the World (foreign policy), Stacy Abrams’ Assembly Required, about things you can do.

    If we’re talking podcasts, Preet Bharara’s Stay Tuned and its related stable of commenters is something I listen to regularly.

    For Tech commentary, Paris Marx’s Tech won’t save us, Emily Bender’s Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000.  Ed Zitron’s Better offline is full of snarky outrage at “the Rot Economy” (basically the systemic roots of “enshittification”).

    For those living in Massachusetts, Incorruptible Massachusetts (three Bernie siblings commenting on how little progressive legislation gets passed by our supposedly blue legislature), The Codcast (Beacon Hill news (mostly)), The Horse Race (awfully poll-centric, one of the regulars is a pollster).

  61. 61.

    CCL

    Years ago, I subscribed to the Christian Science Monitor for its reporting …remembering reading David Rohde’s breath-taking reports on walking across the border unmolested to cover the Serb-Bosnia war.  Your post made me look again… and saw an interview with J. Edgar Hoover’s biographer in light of the Kash Patel nomination.   Reading it made me think I need to go back to paying more attention to what the CS Monitor is doing.   Going to try making a link, but might mess up:   Interview with J. Edgar Hoover’s biographe

    ETA:  Not really saying that the Monitor should be included in the list, but more a tip of my hat to you, WG, for helping me remember a valuable resource.

  63. 63.

    grubert

    Sent my money from cancelled WaPo subscription to nonprofit MinnPost, started by StarTribune refugee Erik Black.. lots of fresh direct reporting. National stuff too

    minnpost.com/

  64. 64.

    Starfish (she/her)

    Science-Based Medicine, doctors who like to tell anti-vaccine folks to pound sand. They have been doing this for a long time, and the current anti-RFK vibe of their front page is just coincident with the state of politics.

  66. 66.

    sentient ai from the future

    it doesnt make a lot of sense to leave the guardian off (i havent seen an anti-trans bias of late, they are a fair bit better on this than their UK compatriots, and i can find examples if you’d like) and NOT include Erin Reed’s substack.

  67. 67.

    Bill Arnold

    @WaterGirl:

    If folks can weigh in, I would love to see us talk this through.

    The Guardian is mixed.
    Anti-trans (of the secular UK sort), like most UK media. [1]
    Coverage of US politics can be bad from the perspective of a US person. ( Gell-Mann Amnesia effect )
    Slightly left generally.
    Good climate coverage; they are the ones who’ve tried to normalize the (correct) term “global heating”, and they give the impending global heating catastrophe a significant amount of coverage, unlike most.
    [1] Trans genocide is a long-term project (broadly distributed) in the UK, going back well over a decade. Been depressing to watch.

  69. 69.

    WaterGirl

    After Christmas, I will collect all the suggestions in this post add them to the list, and do one more post between Christmas and New Years, asking for input, then will make the list live on the site.

  72. 72.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    Another “yes” to The American Prospect for the reasons rosalind gave in #21.

    And AAW at #22 for both Rosen and Froomkin, particularly the latter.

    And Central Planning at #44 for Law Dork, that’s one’s really handy for those of us not at all schooled in the law stuff.

    Please, no LGM. They did come up yesterday several times as in “please don’t include them.” We’ve got years of comments here saying exactly why and if their blatherings of this year wasn’t enough of an example to keep them off the blogroll, nothing will.

    Gloomis’s visit a grave series has devolved into snide asides about whatever little shit he wants to criticize, plus, he’s lazy with them, tons of inaccuracies or statements about “I didn’t bother to look that up despite the fact it’s pertinent to the subject”.

    Campos is a glorious read on those occasions he talks about his travails with the CU-Boulder Law school only because his complete self-absorbtion and lack of self-awareness are on full display.  But that alone isn’t worth putting on the blogroll.

  74. 74.

    Roberto el oso

    @Scamp Dog: Agreed about LGM. Loomis is a very odd bird. He regularly scolds the commenters in his posts for white privilege, etc., and, despite being very pro-protest (provided it’s students on campuses) pretty much dismisses any kind of activism or participation during elections (postcard writing, knocking on doors, donating $$, watching debates, etc.) as useless.

    He’s also, for someone who appears to see himself as a hard-headed realist, hopelessly romantic when it comes to 3rd world resistance movements (particularly Mexico).

    But other than that (lol), I find it a necessary site to keep up with things.

  75. 75.

    beckya57

    On Substack I also like Arc Digital (Nicholas Grossman and a colleague, forget the name of the other one), and Brian Klaas’ Garden of Forking Paths isn’t always news but is always interesting.  I otherwise follow most of the same ones as your list on SS, but have cancelled Beutler and Willis because I find their constant Dem hating tiresome (though they are sometimes correct).

  79. 79.

    Starfish (she/her)

    @WaterGirl: Jesse Singal is an asshat of the “just asking questions” variety when it comes to trans-folks. He is responsible for that “When Children Say Their Trans” article in The Atlantic (intentionally not linked) that pissed off a lot of people.

    I think at least one of the interviewees was from 4thWaveNow which is a trans-exclusionary radical feminist blog. Here is one of the critiques of Singal’s article. It’s not very long, and there are probably better ones out there.

  82. 82.

    WaterGirl

    Everyone:

    I am happy enough to put the list together, but I don’t want to have to run down every lead to figure out what it is and find a link. :-)

  83. 83.

    Starfish (she/her)

    @WaterGirl: Can you do this like the you do the calendars and have the list and mark the ones you need more information on so we can give links?

  85. 85.

    Madeleine

    @Starfish (she/her): seconding Just Security. Omnes linked to an article there a couple months ago and, based on that piece, I signed up for their daily email. It’s long form and I don’t read its pieces often, but I find it informative.

  89. 89.

    Geminid

    One of my more valuable news sources is the CBS Radio news. It doesn’t take up much time, but they’ll cover a lot of stories over a day. There’s not much depth but there’s breadth and over time, that’s a kind of depth in itself.

    Radio news still has a big audience. I sometimes think that a lot of people believe that since they’ve left “old media” behind everyone else has, but that’s not so.

  93. 93.

    TxTiger

    @KatKapCC: One more Substack to consider is Ruth Ben-Ghiat (her Substack is called Lucid).

    Seconding Ruth Ben-Ghiat. One of the benefits of subscribing to Lucid is that she regularly holds Zoom sessions (usually Friday mid-day) with the subscriber community, where she speaks on current topics, often hosts an expert, and always asks questions of the (very engaged and frequently international) attendees.

  95. 95.

    Fair Economist

    Tossing out a long-term idea, maybe there could be a way for each commentator to have a blogroll and some kind of aggregate choice.

    Main thing, though, is not to fight over choices. We’re all going to disagree on some sources; that’s healthy, but attacking each other over such differences is NOT healthy.

  97. 97.

    Lumpy

    This is nit-picky but I think you should list Majority Report under podcasts (the blog isn’t active, I should have supplied a more direct link). I would also 2nd The American Prospect (prospect.org) which seems to do excellent reporting and analysis. A lot of people seem to recommend The New Republic which has apparently found new legs somewhat recently. http://Www.newrepublic.com

    Thank you WG!

  99. 99.

    MattF

    I’m a fan of Molly White. Very useful, what with crypto striving for respectability. As the link shows, she’s got several websites and several pots with several fingers in them.

    Also, Kevin Drum. Sometimes unorthodox, always data-oriented.

  101. 101.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud: Someone asked me this morning which presidents might attend the inauguration. I said Biden has said he will, but the only other one I think might is Clinton.

    ETA: She was surprised to hear that GWB hates Trump. (normie)

  104. 104.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud: I don’t know since I don’t read the news. I only know what’s on BJ, so I saw that Biden said he would. I was just guessing.

  105. 105.

    Anonymous At Work

    @Starfish (she/her): Legal Eagle isn’t reliable on doing political stuff over the purely legal stuff.  When he does politics, it’s great.  When he does legal stuff, he’s also great for attorneys and such.

  106. 106.

    WaterGirl

    @Lumpy:

    This is nit-picky but I think you should list Majority Report under podcasts (the blog isn’t active.

    Yeah, I didn’t really know on that one, thanks.  I corrected that one on the fly, so it’s in the right place now.

  107. 107.

    Geminid

    @WaterGirl: I don’t know. The CBS Radio news is the only one I listen to. I just bring it up here from time to time to remind people that it’s not such a bad format and it’s efficient.

    However, I’ll put a plug in for WTOP Radio. It’s an all-news station based in Washington, D.C. They have a lot of national and imternational news besides the short CBS news reports at “the top and bottom of every hour.”

    Besides broadcasting from D.C. at 103.5FM, they have a transmitter in Fredericksburg (107.7FM) that comes in fine where I live and drive. I switch to the oldies station when the traffic reports come on because they’re so grim.

  108. 108.

    Sure Lurkalot

    I’m finding some humor among the outrage about what’s a hard no and what’s not. Avoid Twitter, FTFNYT, WaPo, MSNBC, CNN for me but not for thee, that’s why I think the list should be broad and left to the individual to pick and choose.

    I’ve read many takes of people who say that they’re spending and buying until mid January and then gonna shut it down…no restaurants, bars, games, travel, as little discretionary spending as possible under Trump. The years in front of me are far fewer than the ones behind so I’m not willing to spend 4 years reading library books and riding my bike, as much as I love both those activities. No criticism meant for those whose plan that is but it’s not for everyone, like news sources.

  110. 110.

    scav

    @Starfish (she/her): It’s the interwebs, “easy” enough to have both.  Longer, commented list is the primary page (for maintenance purposes) and the “Top Ten” (or whatever, least controversial?) page is skimmed off for easy uncluttered reference needs.

  112. 112.

    Suzanne

    I will also put in a recommend for Know Your Enemy, which is an podcast affiliated with Dissent magazine. I follow the hosts on social media, and they are indeed probably left-er than most here, but also very smart and insightful. The podcast is specifically about focusing on the conservative movement and what they’re up to, which I think is absolutely critical in these days.

  115. 115.

    KatKapCC

    @zhena gogolia:

    ETA: She was surprised to hear that GWB hates Trump. (normie)

    Indeed, though I’d say Dick Cheney hating him is even more surprising.

    One of very very few positive memories I have around GWB is after Trump’s inauguration speech, when Bush reportedly said to someone, “That was some weird shit.” It was, bro. It really was.

    (So so so so so NOT looking forward to hearing the next one.)

  116. 116.

    dm

    @WaterGirl: Molly White is very crypto-knowledgeable, and thinks it’s bullshit.

    Molly White is behind two of the other things mentioned earlier: “Web 3 is Going Great”, and “Citation Needed”.  I think Citation Needed summarizes the news from Web3isGoingGreat.  She’s also a frequent guest on Paris Marx’s Tech won’t save us podcast.

    …. and it will be important reading with the Trump Cabinet’s cryptid population.

    (Sorry, I don’t know how to do links to the podcasts I mentioned, but…. one usually just uses podcast app search functions to get to podcasts anyway, don’t they?)

    @Suzanne: Here’s a second for Know your enemy.

  117. 117.

    zhena gogolia

    @Sure Lurkalot: I’m only avoiding news sources because Trump makes me want to throw up. Not out of principle. I’ll be taking all recreational opportunities until they drag me to the reeducation camp.

  120. 120.

    Bort

    @linnen: To get past the paywall, go right next to the web address, click on Settings (or View Site Information), find the Javascript setting and turn it off.  Refresh and read about the Bobbleheaded Slapdick and the other cast of idiots.

  122. 122.

    Suzanne

    @zhena gogolia: I listened to Ben Wittes on some other podcast, and he noted that he finds TFG’s voice very upsetting. So part of his coping strategy for the next four years is to read transcripts of spoken remarks, if he has to, and stay away from audio/video clips. I’m taking that advice.

  123. 123.

    Professor Bigfoot

    I never subscribed to the FTFNYT (gods be praised!); killed my subscription to FWAPO two months ago; my local paper (The Canton Suppository) is Trumpist trash… but the Plain Dealer is on the list.

    So I’m SORELY tempted to go for a subscription (ooo, digital only is on sale right now, too)… because if we want good journalism, we’re gonna have to pay for it.

    Journalists’ kids gotta eat, too.

  124. 124.

    Miss Bianca

    Speaking of media that meed to be supported, I think I’m going to have to throw some bucks at the Defector this coming year, because this Drew Magary hate-read of the Sonoma-Williams catalog had me quaking with laughter. Good thing I had finished my coffee before embarking:

    tinyurl.com/fjs7xaar

  126. 126.

    frosty

    @Sure Lurkalot: Mid-January is when we hitch up for our Snowbird Road Trip, so no, I won’t be eliminating discretionary spending. The only accommodation we’re making is to go to Arizona instead of Florida this year. We’ll be part of Trump’s economy but not DeSantis’s.

  127. 127.

    frosty

    @Suzanne: stay away from audio/video clips [of Trump]

    I’ve been doing that ever since the 2016 election. I can’t stand looking at him or hearing him.

  129. 129.

    Susan Einbinder

    Blogs — Lawyers, Guns & Money; Emptywheel

    Podcasts – The John Fugelsang Podcast; Josh Marshall; Al Franklin; Nicole Marshall

  130. 130.

    Geminid

    @Tom Fitz: Speaking of Pacific Northwest news, I wonder if you are familiar with the Nortwest Progressive Institute and their news site The Cascadia Advocate. I ran into them in October when I looked up Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s WA03 race. The reporter, Anthony Villaneuve, seemed pretty solid.

    Villeneuve founded the NPI in 2005. The focus is on news in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, with some coverage of British Columbia news as well.

  131. 131.

    hrprogressive

    For Medical/Health News and info, since we still have COVID to deal with and likely H5N1 eventually:

    Substack:
    Eric Topol, Your Local Epidemiologist (Katelyn Jetelina)

    BlueSky:
    Angela Rasmussen, Helen Branswell

    STAT News.

    Sorry no links readily available but I highly recommend them.

  133. 133.

    RAM

    The top four I check each morning for sure, in order, are:
    The Raw Story
    Daily Kos
    Talking Points Memo
    Balloon Juice

    If I have time:
    No More Mister
    Hullabaloo
    Atrios
    Huffpost
    Crooks & Liars

  135. 135.

    laura

    Please add Ragnorak Lobster to the Bluesky list. He aggregates a lot of lesser known and Black voices. I’ve cut way, way, WAY back on white opinion havers over the last couple of years because they seem really siloed on who’s opinions should count. I want my democracy intersectional.

  140. 140.

    BSR

    Lots of good stuff here to peruse during my holiday free-time – so thanks to everyone for all the suggestions.

    One I haven’t seen is Diane Ravitch at dianeravitch.net. She posts about many political things and (while I agree with most of her views) I find most of her posts are a bit behind the rest of the world by a few hours, so not for late-breaking news.

    However, where her knowledge really shines is on education. She’s a former assistant secretary of education under Bush I. Formerly a proponent of No Child Left Behind, but changed her mind when she realized it wasn’t working as intended. She is an outspoken opponent of school vouchers, (most) charter schools, and the whole movement to privatize public education. Absolutely essential reading, for me.

  141. 141.

    TomB5

    @luc: their news articles will take to task corporations,I think because the paper is predominantly reader supported. Wasn’t aware of the anti-trans bend to it. I agree it’s a very necessary paper.

  143. 143.

    Larch

    I recommend MaddowBlog, mostly written by Steve Benen: msnbc.com/maddowblog

    As you probably know, it’s a cross between news & a blog, giving more background and (progressive) context for whatever the day’s new stories happen to be. Both Benen  and their legal writer are very good.

  145. 145.

    Larch

    Also, is anyone familiar with https://www.mcclatchydc.com for regular news recently? They used to be pretty good – I remember they disproved that idiotic yellow cake uranium story from the run up to the Iraq war very early but were unfortunately annoyed. I got out of the habit of checking their site, so I don’t know if they’ve deteriorated over the years (probably, since it seems to be a theme).

     

    They apparently just need an email to read on their site for 24 hours. They may paywalled after that, though.

  146. 146.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @BSR:

    Ravitch is a great resource.  She reminds me of Cole in the “what I was preaching is bullshit” Journey to Damascus moment vis a vis education.

  149. 149.

    Starfish (she/her)

    @Anonymous At Work: I think there is a crossover of politics and other stuff. I have been 100% for adding some tech sources for no other reason that tech is 30% or more of the S&P 500, and Elon Musk is trying to control our politics. Whether you like tech or not doesn’t matter, these extremely rich dudes CAN hurt society.

  150. 150.

    Starfish (she/her)

    @BSR: Yes, I read this one a bit, but I don’t necessarily read the political opinion ones because frequently I have read it elsewhere.

  151. 151.

    RobinS

    @WaterGirl: Re Erin Reed – Yes. She is a trans writer covering state by state anti-trans legislation across the country. As well as other stuff. I subscribed for free for awhile but after the election started paying

  154. 154.

    AWOL

    A. R. Moxon’s substack is generally worth a read:

    armoxon.substack.com/

    And again, as someone who was in the WBAI blender and left after the Race War of 2001, the folks at “Democracy Now!” are neither your friends or pro–Democratic Party. They should be treated like “The Young Turks.”

  155. 155.

    Barbara

    @WaterGirl: Like most people I link to articles based on feeds.  So I tend to miss content that is anti-transgender because it isn’t in those feeds or I don’t link to it if it is.  This is also true for AP and NBC, as well as any others that are also in my feed.  My view is that of the big three, NBC has the most credibility in news reporting.  YMMV.

    Apart from finding it unlikely that any real news source is going to be reliably progressive, I am finding it difficult to get past the bent towards orthodoxy — I am a live and let live kind of person.  I think that the people who are in the best position to make decisions are those who are directly affected by those decisions, and of course, this includes health care.  That, to me, is really bedrock.  But when you radiate out one circle, for instance, you run into policy positions that seem less obvious.  Although I usually come down on the side of deference to doctors, doctors have been wrong about many things — like declaring homosexuality to be a mental illness, for instance.

    I am not disagreeing on policy, but I am really disagreeing with the idea that I shouldn’t even read things by people who disagree with specifically authorized views on any issue.  Of course, you don’t have to put them on your list.  That’s up to you.

  156. 156.

    Yet Another Haldane

    Thank you (yet again!) for working so hard building infrastructure, WaterGirl. You’re doin’ the Lord’s work.

    I’m trying to learn more about transphobia at The Guardian; the only concrete bits I’ve found are (1) a couple of columnists who quit because they felt hassled about being transphobic, and (2) an editorial in 2018 that was accused of transphobia. That’s in only a half-hour or so of looking, so I’m sure I’ve missed a lot. I’ll keep searching, but if somebody can point me to sources to get me started, I’d appreciate it.

    Disclaimer: I read and like The Graun, and haven’t noticed transphobia, but as a cis-het white guy from the US, it’s a constant struggle to see what’s in front of my nose.

  160. 160.

    Yet Another Haldane

    There are two curated news aggregators I plan to try out in 2025:

    – Tangle newsletter concentrates on one issue daily, e.g., “The Fall of Assad in Syria” on December 10th.  Provides three summaries of the coverage, with links:  view from the left, view from the right, and an attempt at synthesis by the Tangle editor.  (The conclusion might be that one of the sides has no merit, it’s not reflexive bothsidesing.)  I think four days/week are free, the rest available by subscription.  I heard about it on an episode of This American Life.

    readtangle.com/

    – Ground News is a more elaborate and geeky variation on the same theme.  News sources are rated on a left-to-right scale and by “factuality” by some metric.  Multiple sources are listed for each topic.  Subscriptions unlock features like an evaluation of the subscriber’s personal biases.  IDK how any of this works yet, but it appeals to the data nerd in me, while at the same time triggering data-nerd skepticism.

    ground.news/

  162. 162.

    catbirdman

    I’d have thought Lawyers, Guns & Money would make the blog list. Is there some feud of which I’m unaware?

  165. 165.

    Darkrose

    @Elizabelle: When the Biden Wars broke out and people were insisting that Kamala would easily beat Trump, I kept thinking about the Guardian front-page piece from February where they  quoted “anonymous administration sources” saying that Harris was the worst VP ever and that “she should never be president.” For four years, the Guardian never met a “Biden is a disaster and Harris is incompetent” story that they didn’t rush to run.

  166. 166.

    Darkrose

    @catbirdman: LGM is not a good place right now. Loomis in particular is a toxic asshole who drives people away from the site (raises hand). Campos–a law professor–was all-in on remote diagnosing Biden with Parkinson’s this summer. They apparently refuse to ban the commenter who is actively supporting the genocide in Gaza. Every other post for a while was the dudes on the front page berating the commenters for daring to criticize them. It sounds like it’s gotten worse, not better.

  167. 167.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Darkrose: Guardian is very tankie, always has been. They made neo-liberal into a slur that it is now. Neoliberal has completely lost its original meaning and come to mean anything that the left doesn’t like.

    Since 2016 they have been on the Berning train.

  168. 168.

    banditqueen

    Judd Legum has a worthwhile substack, Popular Information, which has articles written in newsletter format that are based on investigative research by the current staff of 3 people. There’s a free short version and a longer subscription newsletter. Legum describes himself as progressive.

  169. 169.

    Elizabelle

    @Darkrose: I know.  Despise that about The Guardian.  They were ready to believe Tara Reade (sp? — the lunatic who accused Biden of rape).

    Very uneven paper, which does some good work.

  170. 170.

    Darkrose

    Can we add Erin Reed’s Substack, Erin in the Morning? She is a fantastic journalist covering trans, LGBTQIA+, and reprodutive rights issues, and her coverage has been invaluable in keeping on top of the wave of anti-trans sludge going around right now.

  176. 176.

    K-Mo

    @frosty: Baltimore native here.  So far I’ve been disappointed with the Banner.  It has not lived up to its promise.  At this point it is clearing the bar of “better than the Sun” (which was bought out by Fox News) for local news and not much more.  I don’t trust it, though.  They have been putting out slanted coverage to benefit local developers (file under: opinions in the news sections and shill for the donors) and they do not respond to letters.

  178. 178.

    K-Mo

    BTW thanks to Watergirl for compiling this list.  I fall in the camp of not excluding a lot of sources out of hand even if I read them warily, but this is very useful for me nonetheless.

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