Last edited by Jim Becker; 10-16-2017 at 9:19 AM. Reason: fixed quote tagging
Jerome, I disagree that NPR is the type of news service that stirs up controversy for reasons, such as, to boost ratings as some do. They don't shy from controversial subjects but I'd like to see any example of where they didn't present all sides or favored one viewpoint over another or purposefully created or inflamed controversy.
I like NPR but in the last several years I think they have gotten more trendy ,less serious in all subjects. That includes such new features as interviews with rap people....which means less music of all types. I generally like their news. The Garrison Keilor show was political but in a vaudiville ...if biased way. So the "humor" is tilted.
NPR just uses a bit more subtlety than most. Listen to the questions - - I often hear their interviewers ask, "Shouldn't (insert someone) (insert verb) (insert something)?" (Clearly implying, only a (insert expletive) would disagree.) If unbiased, I believe they'd use "should". YMMV
I think our downfall is listening to news sources that we like - - and generally agree with the spin - - and so don't really 'see' the spin. Since news is nearly all revenue driven, any news source starts tailoring its content to enhance ratings (even NPR needs donors.) If at least 1 of my news sources doesn't actually make me angry, I'm probably not getting enough news to formulate my own opinion - - accurately, I hope.
So channel-surf - in papers, on TV, the web, and your phone apps!
I don’t see how interviewing “rap people” makes them less serious. They also interview rock, country, and opera. Do opera interviews make them more serious?
Jerome, your response leads me to believe that you may not really be familiar with their format. Only a small percentage of their programming concerns stories of a controversial nature. They're known for in-depth stories about current or historical events and issues, scientific discoveries, events and books, culture and social topics, the arts, personalities, cultural entertainment, etc. The reason people listen is for these well-researched stories that they can't hear anywhere else, not just for controversial, hot-button issues so, NPR has no reason to pump up the controversy for ratings. I recommend that you check out npr.org to see their latest list of stories.
Dave, I believe it may not be proper to use "good" and "news app" in the same sentence.
Jim
You can also use a news/article consolidation app like FlipBoard (or Apple's News app native to iOS for folks with iPhones) to target news types you're interested in from multiple sources. It's often very useful to get news and articles from multiple sources for many reasons.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Fox News is my most used app, check it several times a day. Has a cross section of national and world news in addition to a lot of politics. All News groups have their bias regardless of their claims of objectivity, just choose your poison.
The best news app is the daily weather report
Consider using Twitter as your news source.
Here’s what works for me: I “follow” my hometown newspaper for local news and sports. For global news, it’s the BBC. I also follow local police and fire departments, plus my county, to keep up with what’s going on in and around town. There are also many woodworking folks to follow.
My son is away at college in Florida, and I follow his college, plus the surrounding police, fire and newspapers. I often know what’s going on near him before he does.
I have family in Houston, Austin and San Antonio. During the recent hurricanes, I was able to read about conditions on the ground.
Twitter has become my news source. I no longer have to visit ten or more web sites per day, or install a bunch of apps; all the news that I want is in one place.