unSpun_ Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation - Brooks Jackson [59]
Local newspapers also carry dispatches from The Associated Press, which still sets the standard for balanced, just-the-facts reporting of current events, at least in our view. (We may be a bit biased about The AP, because Brooks Jackson worked there until 1980.) A story with an AP byline carries The AP’s authority, in addition to that of the newspaper that published it. For recent events, try using Google, Yahoo, or any other good Internet search engine that can limit the search to “news.” This should bring up any recent stories that contain the key words you have entered; frequently, the results will include several copies of the same AP story as reprinted in different places. However, these searches will also dredge up posts on all sorts of strongly partisan or ideological websites and blogs that can’t necessarily be trusted to give a full or even an accurate account.
Free news sites have their limitations. Some require an annoying “registration” process that requires you to hand over personal information, such as your age, sex, and (in some cases) even your income. That information can be sold or otherwise used to target you for commercial purposes. You may want to check the stated “privacy policy” first, or look for the same story on another site.
A more serious weakness of Internet news searches is that most news sites charge a fee for access to stories more than about a week old. That’s understandable, given the huge expense of gathering and editing those stories, but often it’s impractical for the everyday user to find an older news story quickly. TV networks are especially difficult to search. They got in the habit of charging money for written transcripts of their news broadcasts long ago, and most still don’t post such transcripts on their websites, except for special interviews. Notable exceptions are CNN, the BBC, and NBC News’s Meet the Press program.
To do a thorough search of news from last month or last year, you need access to the excellent services of either Nexis or Factiva, both of which carry the full text of nearly every major newspaper, magazine, and wire service story for the past two decades. The services can be quite expensive: Nexis charges nonsubscribers $3 for every news story paid for by credit card, for example. Check your local library, which may have Nexis or Factiva access for free or at a reduced price. The online services of many college and university libraries also have subscriptions that can be used for free by faculty, students, or other authorized users.
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Some FactCheck Favorites
Amid all the deception and misinformation on the Internet, some sites stand out as mostly reliable and unbiased. Here are just a few of the many we at FactCheck.org have found useful. All are free, unless otherwise noted.
www.cdc.gov
The National Center for Health Statistics, of the Centers for Disease Control, has official data on births, deaths, accidental injuries, marriages, and divorces. The “FastStats” feature allows easy location by topic.
www.ConsumerReports.org
The online version of Consumer Reportsmagazine, publishing unbiased test reports since 1936 on products of all sorts, from autos to kitchen appliances. Published by the nonprofit Consumers Union, which accepts no advertising or even free test samples. A $26 annual subscription can prevent mistakes costing much more.
www.opensecrets.org
The Center for Responsive Politics is a private, nonprofit group that collects official data on political donations and lobbying and provides useful analyses of which interest groups gave most.
www.cbo.gov
Lawmakers of both parties rely on the Congressional Budget Office for analysis of economic trends, federal spending, and the deficit, and of the likely impact of any new legislation.
www.kff.org
The Kaiser Family Foundation, whose stated mission is to “help improve health policies and programs for people in greatest need,” provides a wealth of nonpartisan information about Medicare, Medicaid,