Where Do You Get Your News Without Social Media?

frankbell · 12-10-2024, 10:06 PM

I gave up on television news a long time ago, unless there's a snow storm

, though I do visit the websites of major local TV stations for local news updates from time to time.

And I certainly would not consider "social" media in any way a reliable source of fact-based reportage, or fact-based anything else, for that matter.

I subscribe to my local paper and to a couple of print publications which I consider reputable--they have their leaning, but they clearly separate fact from opinion. I also visit various newspaper websites run by legitimate newspapers with a long history of trying to get it right, such as inquirer.com, desmoinesregister.com, sfchronicle.com, tampabay.com, startribune.com, and kansascity.com, just to pick a few (you get the drift--major regional newspapers).

I would also recommend politifact.com and snopes.com as fact-checking sites.

Just my approach.

hazel · 12-11-2024, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtmistler

I formerly tried to read NYTimes and The Times, I think they are pay sites.

You can sometimes get round a paywall by transferring the address to links, which doesn't have a javascript engine. It depends how well the paywall is constructed; some of them (Wall Street Journal for example) check for javascript first and refuse to load in its absence.

business_kid · 12-11-2024, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtmistler

I'm old enough to have been an actual paperboy.

Me too. It's a good way to organise yourself as a kid - submitting to slave labour for a pittance

. I did get Epilepsy out of it though, which wasn't great.

rtmistler · 12-11-2024, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

Me too. It's a good way to organise yourself as a kid - submitting to slave labour for a pittance

.

I feel I did pretty good $$ for an 11-12 year old.

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

I did get Epilepsy out of it though, which wasn't great.

I'm very sorry to hear that.

slac-in-the-box · 12-11-2024, 03:57 PM

Just like these images, news can be ambiguous. Some news tells me its the rabbit... other news tells me its the duck. One channel says she's clockwise. Another says she's counterclockwise. I wholeheartedly agree with @sundialsvcs: news is propaganda. Beliefs impact our behavior. Therefore, controlling someone's beliefs is controlling their behavior.

I try to avoid beliefs as long as possible, preferring to embrace an infinity of potential interpretations, each with a direction (effects on behavior), and a force (plausibility)--like vectors. But in the field, when behavior is demanded, it's more than a mere riemann sum of all these vectors, because I won't always choose the result; rather, I invest my behavior in interpretations that keep hope and dreams alive, even if they don't seem to have as much force--at least they are going the right direction. The news doesn't do a very good job of that. So I seldom tune in.

The general forum here at LQ is my preferred news source. If it's big, my favorite newscasters (all of you) will be discussing it (unless it's too big, and Jeremy lays down a moratorium).

ape_din · 12-11-2024, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slac-in-the-box

Just like these images, news can be ambiguous. Some news tells me its the rabbit... other news tells me its the duck. One channel says she's clockwise. Another says she's counterclockwise. I wholeheartedly agree with @sundialsvcs: news is propaganda. Beliefs impact our behavior. Therefore, controlling someone's beliefs is controlling their behavior.

I try to avoid beliefs as long as possible, preferring to embrace an infinity of potential interpretations, each with a direction (effects on behavior), and a force (plausibility)--like vectors. But in the field, when behavior is demanded, it's more than a mere riemann sum of all these vectors, because I won't always choose the result; rather, I invest my behavior in interpretations that keep hope and dreams alive, even if they don't seem to have as much force--at least they are going the right direction. The news doesn't do a very good job of that. So I seldom tune in.

The general forum here at LQ is my preferred news source. If it's big, my favorite newscasters (all of you) will be discussing it (unless it's too big, and Jeremy lays down a moratorium).

when i was a teen my nickname was riemann238. Bernard was such an influence for shure. Lobacevsky too

sundialsvcs · 12-11-2024, 06:12 PM

@ape_din: I emphasize that "propaganda has always been with us, literally since the dawn of history, and it always will be." You simply need to recognize that everything that you encounter is (presumed to be ...) slanted in one direction or another. The providers of the information inevitably want to persuade you, not neutrally inform you. (And, to be fair, sometimes the bias is in their chosen sources.) So, you simply need to "know that going in."

ape_din · 12-11-2024, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sundialsvcs

@ape_din: I emphasize that "propaganda has always been with us, literally since the dawn of history, and it always will be." You simply need to recognize that everything that you encounter is (presumed to be ...) slanted in one direction or another. The providers of the information inevitably want to persuade you, not neutrally inform you. (And, to be fair, sometimes the bias is in their chosen sources.) So, you simply need to "know that going in."

to go a step further i would add that we do the same with ourselves, what we select and choose is biased and we like to be persuaded sometimes..

slac-in-the-box · 12-11-2024, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ape_din

when i was a teen my nickname was riemann238. Bernard was such an influence for shure. Lobacevsky too

Thanks. I wasn't familiar with the Copernicus of Geometry, but I soon will be!

teckk · 12-11-2024, 07:47 PM

My 2 cents.

These will get you some of the latest news vids. I script this, but here are some direct links.

Code:

https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=Documentary&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=DW+News&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=DW+Documentary&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=BBC+News&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=BBC+World+Service&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=ABC+News+(Australia)&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fox+News&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=Al+Jazeera&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sky+News&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=Haaretz&sp=EgQIAxAB
https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=Associated+Press&sp=EgQIAxAB

Etc. Got about 20 more. You get the idea. News sites, latest posts.

Your url needs to be formatted with spaces replace by +

The &sp=EgQIAxAB on the end gets you posted this week.

This will get you posts this month.

Code:

https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=DW+News&sp=EgIIBA%253D%253D

For the last year.

Code:

https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=DW_News&sp=EgQIBRAB

teckk · 12-11-2024, 08:11 PM

There is also lot of content on X. Good or bad, it's info.

I have a python tree to scrape out video links on X from usernames, posts, without having an X account or having to load X. I scrape the latest ones, just like I do with youtube. Then yt-dlp will display the format and source for vids on X. You can play them with a media player.

teckk · 12-11-2024, 08:19 PM

One more post, to show what I am talking about.

Like this, twit is a python script of mine.

Code:

./twit

1) Quit
2) GetUrl
3) Download

Select an option.:  2
Enter/Paste twitter/X url: https://t.co/cqnhdLchtg
[twitter][info] Requesting guest token
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1866506524840919040/pu/vid/avc1/888x486/QvdJZC0AbEQn3_Iu.mp4?tag=12
$Enter to continue.

yt-dlp will spit out info too, once you have a url from X. Which is also python.

Code:

yt-dlp -F https://t.co/cqnhdLchtg
[twitter:shortener] Extracting URL: https://t.co/cqnhdLchtg
...
[info] Available formats for 1866506524840919040:
ID                     EXT RESOLUTION │   FILESIZE   TBR PROTO │ VCODEC       VBR ACODEC      ABR MORE INFO
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
hls-audio-32000-Audio  mp4 audio only │ ~304.15KiB   32k m3u8  │ audio only       unknown     32k Audio
hls-audio-64000-Audio  mp4 audio only │ ~608.30KiB   64k m3u8  │ audio only       unknown     64k Audio
hls-audio-128000-Audio mp4 audio only │ ~  1.19MiB  128k m3u8  │ audio only       unknown    128k Audio
http-256               mp4 492x270    │ ≈  2.38MiB  256k https │ unknown          unknown
hls-89                 mp4 492x270    │ ~849.63KiB   89k m3u8  │ avc1.4D401E  89k video only
http-832               mp4 656x360    │ ≈  7.72MiB  832k https │ unknown          unknown
hls-208                mp4 656x360    │ ~  1.93MiB  208k m3u8  │ avc1.4D401F 208k video only
http-2176              mp4 888x486    │ ≈ 20.20MiB 2176k https │ unknown          unknown
hls-364                mp4 888x486    │ ~  3.39MiB  365k m3u8  │ avc1.64001F 365k video only

I don't do the big heavy script laden pages. That is what python is for.

rkelsen · 12-12-2024, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ape_din

For those of you who have abandoned or never used social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc., I'm curious — where do you get your news or read content in general? Any special places or suggestions?

I've never had a Facebook or Twitter account, and no desire to sign up to either of them.

News comes to me from one of two public broadcasters here, or international sources known to be of high journalistic standard such as the BBC or Reuters.

Mind you, I've been largely ignoring the news for the past ~5 weeks, and will probably continue to do so for much of the next four-and-a-bit years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtmistler

Funny how you see people loudly pronounce their TV or social media standards.

US based.

I feel sorry for Americans. The first amendment means that your media cannot be regulated. Anyone can say whatever they like on American TV and pass it off as fact.

rclark · 12-12-2024, 12:15 AM

Quote:

that your media cannot be regulated.

So only the government approve... I mean censor??? No, better to have freedom of the press and let the public sort it out (those that can think... that is). MAGA. Going to be a good next 4 years.

rkelsen · 12-12-2024, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rclark

(those that can think... that is). MAGA.

Oh, the irony.