There has never been a better time to be a critical reader. Also, there has never been a more frustrating time to be a critical reader. A plethora of publications exists on the internet. Many of them are well-written, expertly fact-checked and very informative. Others lack substance, contain silly errors or have an obvious slant. While many online newspapers and magazines provide free content, it sometimes seems the really good stuff sits behind a paywall.
How do you know what to read and what to avoid? How can you be sure you’re getting the straight story without bias? Do you have to buy subscriptions to a bunch of different publications to be sure you’re getting all the news you need?
If you’re searching for high-quality, fact-filled news sources or you’re looking to add a few more to your existing favorites, take a look at the titles below. These are sources I turn to every day for a well-balanced serving of news and information. I’m curious to know what you think of them.
What to read when you’re short on time but you want to be in the know
1440 Daily Digest. This handy briefing is delivered to your inbox every morning. With short, insightful recaps of top news stories, the 1440 is a good way to start a busy day. The writing is unbiased so you can think for yourself.
Price: FREE
The Daily Upside. Another very handy daily digest, The Daily Upside focuses a lot on the markets, but in a way that is engaging even for market-illiterate folks like myself.
Price: FREE
Nice News. I recently found this daily newsletter and it’s…nice. All of the articles are positive and not what you’d find on most news sites. For example, I recently read about a woman who started donating lasagnas to people in need during the pandemic. She now has a registered nonprofit with 35,000 volunteers who have fed more than a million people since March 2020.
Price: FREE
What to read when you want to delve into particular areas of news and get a lot of different perspectives.
Real Clear Media Group. There’s a Real Clear newsletter for just about any major topic you can think of. Personally, I try to real Real Clear Education, Real Clear Politics, Real Clear Health, Real Clear World and Real Clear Energy every day. But now I’m seeing there’s also Real Clear History, Real Clear Books and Real Clear Religion, so I might be adding those to my list, which will make me real clear busy.
What I like about the Real Clear newsletters is that you get opinions, but they come from experts in their fields. You also get a lot of fact-filled journalism, and there is almost always a balanced view of a single topic.
Price: FREE
What to read if you find yourself muttering “both sides are crazy.”
Reason Magazine. This Libertarian magazine has been around since 1968. The magazine uses facts to formulate thoughts through a Libertarian lens. This is one of the rare places where you can read a pro-choice article one minute and a pro-gun-rights article the next. Reason is also unafraid to let the two major parties have it in equal measure.
Price: FREE, but you can also get a subscription for more content.
What to read if you’re feeling a bit British.
Unherd. It’s always good to get a perspective from outside the U.S. Also, Unherd is independent, although some may say it leans conservative. I like it because it touches on topics I don’t find in the mainstream U.S. media, like an article on why people in the West might want to consider having more children.
Price: FREE, but you can also get a subscription for more content.
What to read when you have a little extra time on your hands.
Pocket. Scroll through long-form articles that interest you. Download the Pocket app and save the articles to read later. Pocket offers articles on news, science, health, etc., from a variety of publications (Time, CNN, Popular Science, The New York Times, The Verge, The Cut, etc.).
Price: FREE, but there are a couple of premium options.
What to read on Substack (besides the Critical Reader).
A growing number of displaced and/or disgruntled A-list journalists have landed at Substack, where they can cover topics on their own terms. Two of the most worthwhile to follow, in my opinion, are Matti Taibbi and Bari Weiss.
Taibbi is a veteran journalist and a contributing writer for Rolling Stone. On Substack, his TK News covers all of the current topics, while injecting some of the wisdom Taibbi has gained in his many years of journalism. Refreshingly missing are the buzz words you notice in many mainstream media news stories. You can agree or disagree with Taibbi, but you are bound to learn something new.
Price: FREE, but being a subscriber has its perks. Plus, it’s affordable.
Weiss is a former opinion writer and editor at the New York Times. She famously resigned from her post there after citing “bullying by colleagues” in an “illiberal” and “hostile” environment. She joined Substack in 2021. Her Common Sense newsletter is designed “for people who seek the truth rather than the comfort of a team or a tribe. It’s for people who prefer to think for themselves.”
Price: FREE, but offerings are limited. If you can spare $5 a month (or $50 for a full year), it’s worth getting a subscription.
Another great newsletter from Substack is The Dispatch. This digital media company offers a number of good resources, including The Morning Dispatch. The Dispatch is led by several long-time journalists, including Jonah Goldberg, who spent 20 years at The National Review, and David French, a columnist for The Atlantic.
Price: There’s a free version, but opt for a subscription for the best content.