I had a journalism professor who required students to subscribe to the Christian Science Monitor for the semester. As a heathen, I was slightly offended. Add the word “christian” to anything and I’ll pull out my best ACLU rhetoric about separation of church and state, freedom from religion, blah, blah and blah.
Well, color me surprised. With the exception of a single religious column in each issue (at the time, it was a Monday-Friday paper that arrived via the postal system), the Monitor provided what I discovered to be the most unbiased, in-depth global news coverage available. Just today when I checked the website, I found pieces about surrogate mothers in Syria, sanctions in North Korea and Indian polo at 11,000 feet in the Himalayans. And
instead of virtually useless USA Today soundbites, the reporting provides sorely needed context and background.
I continued my subscription after the class ended and kept it up for years. Sadly, like many newspapers today, the Monitor suspended its printed publication last year. Fortunately, it still has a robust website and a weekly print edition. I have subscribed.
I think the publication describes itself well, so I won't change the words: “Straight News: Without slant and without rant. Discover the one news source that gets to the heart of what matters. With intelligence. With integrity."
If you are ready for thoughtfulness in your news and a halt to the hysteria of talking/screaming heads, check out the publication.
No comments:
Post a Comment