Where to find News

March 20, 2005 9:42 AM

I'm a non USAian who spends about 4 months a year in USA. Where can I find in depth news about anything that happens outside this country.

When I can, I buy New Yorker / Atlantic Monthly and of course The Economist. There are many tens of thousands of blogs on the internets. Can people please suggest some to me and why (and any in depth magazines or journals it might be worth perusing).
My interests are world politics and economics and especially how the USA is trying to rule the world; with the emphasis on the reaction from those on the receiving end. In short where are the best places to go for the stories behind the news not parroting the dictat of government.

posted by adamvasco to media & arts (19 comments total)

"My interests are world politics and economics and especially how the USA is trying to rule the world... In short where are the best places to go for the stories behind the news not parroting the dictat of government."

The United States has a very free press, and has pretty good news outlets, if you know where to find them. It is pretty much the same as in any western country. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth.

Try the New York Times. It's a really good world newspaper whose editorial page leans to the left. Also, the Los Angeles Times, which is similar somewhat, is actually a lot better journalistically (in my opinion) although it's harder to find.

If you want online news sources, you can get them from other countries that way, which is what you ask for; but the web sites for the LA Times and the NY Times are good, too. CNN.com isn't all that bad.

Also, the Economist is really great, and very available in the U.S. If you're interested in a thoughtful conservative perspective, just for balance to the Atlantic, try Commentary.
posted by koeselitz at 10:06 AM on March 20, 2005

It sounds like you might like New Internationalist magazine - all of the magazine can be accessed free online (there might be a few months lag), but a subscription to the magazine is fairly cheap if you prefer the hardcopy. Each month has a theme with articles around that theme. It is definitely left-wing/progressive and certainly doesn't hesitate to criticise the USA. It usually has some stories from the perspective of particular individuals in (often developing) countries that are affected by the theme issue. It is perhaps more analysis than the latest news, covering one issue in some depth.

I enjoy reading the Guardian Weekly which publishes a couple articles online, but is better consumed in hard copy. It does good coverage of world news, politics, economics and I enjoy the fortnightly section on international development. It has a slight British bent with a page or two of domestic British news, but otherwise has good coverage of world affairs.

Sorry, I have no blogs to suggest.
posted by AnnaRat at 10:12 AM on March 20, 2005

the guardian weekly? le monde diplomatique? new left review?
posted by andrew cooke at 10:13 AM on March 20, 2005

I always like checking BBC for non US news, and often even for US news.
posted by riffola at 10:34 AM on March 20, 2005

online I find google's news to be pretty wideranging, and it's configurable too now.

On paper, I'd second the NY Times and LA Times -- both quite good.

Of course, if you can get the BBC on the radio, that's great for current events -- you could consider buying a shortwave radio. I'm very lucky in that a local station carries the Beeb.

Where are you from, that you find it hard to get news here -- is it better in your country?
posted by anadem at 10:47 AM on March 20, 2005

news.google.ca seems to have more of an international focus, less US-centric. (Although right now the Schiavo thing is one of the top stories on the page. :\)
posted by agropyron at 11:05 AM on March 20, 2005

BBC world service is #1! It's on XM Radio, but save your bucks and get a shortwave radio. Sadly, North America is the only piece of land not directly covered by BBC shortwave (odd, especially when Canada is still *technically* ruled by the Queen), but it isn't hard to get their central america broadcasts, but a cheap radio will require just the right position to draw them in.

Full news broadcasts every hour on the hour, and every half hour partial broadcasts. Plenty of indepth interviews with people discussing politics. Lots of culture shows as well.

You'll also find all sorts of REALLY way-out-there stuff that should give you an insight into what the more, uhhh... hmmm... "colourful" (angry?) individuals of other countries are thinking.

Maybe I should break out my shortwave radio again... XM has spoiled me.

If you're looking for news from another country where you speak their language, there's a *LOT* of free satellite stations in different languages you might want to check out.
posted by shepd at 11:21 AM on March 20, 2005

I don't think you will find what you are looking for in the US press. While they cover world news, it is usually with an eye as to how those events affect the US. The BBC World News is available on many public radio stations and a cheap shortwave will get it as well. The Brits cover world news best in my opinion and getting a British newspaper or magazine is probably your best bet. Most of these British news outlets have decent web sites. (Before reading your more inside bit, the first resource that came to mind was the Economist). As for blogs, try the Agonist.
posted by caddis at 12:09 PM on March 20, 2005

Al Jazeera's English edition offers a different take on what's going on in the Middle East.

Like shepd suggested, if you speak any other languages, look for the news sites in that language. I like the French newspaper Le Monde, for example.

I agree with koeselitz, the Los Angeles Times often offers better foreign reporting than the New York Times, though that depends on each foreign correspondent. The Washington Post has a few very good foreign correspondents as well. The International Herald Tribune, an affiliate of the New York Times, sometimes has good stuff too.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 12:12 PM on March 20, 2005

The Christian Science Monitor is a great source for objective news reporting; they tend to rely on people who are actually there rather than wire reports, and despite the name they don't push any sort of religious agenda (the Monitor was established in response to the wildly inaccurate and biased "yellow journalism" of the early twentieth century).

If you're looking for something deliberately biased toward your point of view, try Z Magazine.
posted by ubernostrum at 1:59 PM on March 20, 2005

here's the web presence for le monde diplomatique - i think it has more of the left-wing slant that you seem to be looking for than most of the recommendations here.
posted by andrew cooke at 2:06 PM on March 20, 2005

(oh, except Z mag)
posted by andrew cooke at 2:07 PM on March 20, 2005

No need to get a shortwave to listen to the BBC. All of them are available on the internets. BBC World Service will even give you the news in 43 languages.
posted by haqspan at 3:09 PM on March 20, 2005

Watching America has both foreign news about here, and also links to most of the world's newspapers at the bottom.
posted by amberglow at 7:41 PM on March 20, 2005

BBC, NPR, NYT, Harper's, NYer are my sources.
Harper's sounds exactly up your alley and is my main source for in-depth stories.
BBC World News is shown every weekday at 6pm in San Diego (as well as NYC where I see it).
posted by scazza at 8:05 PM on March 20, 2005

I was just looking around the Harper's website and I just forgot to emphasize it enough. "Perhaps the most consistently well-written and self-important magazine in American history," it also has unforgettable sections known as their Index and Readings. The former has Harper's monthly list of startling and frustrating facts; the latter has gleanings from the best of other publications which mostly includes humorous excerpts; like the various names of Kim Jong-Il, names of current US military missions, the tragicomic conversations between Enron two employees, as well as articles like this, which absolutely changed my view of the world forever.
posted by scazza at 8:30 PM on March 20, 2005

NPR's "objective" status has taken quite a beating in the last several months -- so much that many of its former fans are rapidly abandoning it (contributions are WAY down). The latest illustration of their slide into insignificance is that they caved in to pressure from MOMA and fired a reporter that "displeased" the dilettantes there.

As far as I'm concernd, "Harper's" toasted their credibility back in '99. When someone cites them these days, I simply roll my eyes, pat them on the head and offer an indulgent "that's soo-oo cute" before ignoring them altogether.

I would second "The Christian Science Monitor" as a great source of serious news. BBC, certainly. SIRIUS radio has a nice "World Roundup" which is quite nice.
posted by RavinDave at 8:41 PM on March 20, 2005

RavinDave, adamvasco did specify that he was looking for a particular viewpoint which I still think, despite NPR's financially strapped struggle against more powerful institutions, that they and Harper's still fit his needs. In particular, Harper's "has emerged as a particularly vocal critic of America's domestic policies and foreign policies."

Further, the fact that you're condemning an entire publication based on one article that is merely an exploration of an idea, an idea in literature and not world politics as adamvasco was requesting, as well as Harper's 150+ years of credibility, reders it insignificant.
posted by scazza at 8:08 AM on March 21, 2005

That's soo-oo cute.
posted by RavinDave at 8:13 PM on March 21, 2005