As you have probably seen from some of my blogs and many of the articles I post… I tend to read a lot of news articles from a lot of sources. It’s getting harder and harder, unfortunately, to find balanced, unbiased reporting, so I feel that the best strategy is to wade through everything that’s out there and trust the discernment that comes through the Holy Spirit and a grounding in a Biblically-based worldview.
Sadly, as I told the men in my small group this week, I’ve had to nearly cut myself off from one of the sources I used to read a lot, Fox News. This isn’t because they present a biased version of the news — who doesn’t? — but because it’s been getting more and more difficult to navigate their website without being forced to see photos of scantily-clad women and all the “love” advice from their “sexperts”. It disgusts me to be forced to see that stuff when I really just want to read about what’s going on in the world — and, yes, I do realize that the sexualization of our culture IS what’s going on in the world, but still…
Of course, this shouldn’t be surprising, when Fox News (as with all the Fox Networks) is owned by sleaze-ball media mogul Rupert Murdoch, whose holdings also include the Sky Network (and it’s ever-expanding list of pornographic websites and cable TV stations), MySpace, and Zondervan Publishing. Surprising or not, though, it is very disappointing. I know that a lot of my Christian brothers are struggling with issues of sexual purity, and many of these brethren also choose to get most of their news from Fox. How many men continue to struggle with unclean thoughts and temptations, while unconsciously allowing immoral images to continue to have a foothold in their life through unexpected sources such as a “conservative” news outlet?
All this is a very roundabout way to get at my real point: Despite my decision to cut back on my Fox-reading, there are a few blogs that I still read. Thankfully, the “Fox Forum” section of their website has thus far remained free from the influence of advertisements and photos linking to some of Murdoch’s less palatable web ventures, and is accessible without navigating through the main website. It also contains thoughts and perspectives from all over the political spectrum, which I appreciate. It is to one of these blogs that I’d like to direct your attention today.
Kirsten Powers is a blogger who I like to read, even though I frequently disagree with her. She is a former junior member of the Bill Clinton administration, a self-described feminist, a pro-choice advocate, and a former blogger for the Huffington Post. She currently serves as a columnist for the New York Post, and as a political analyst for Fox News as a Democratic strategist. Though her views differ from mine on nearly every issue, I find her to be generally fair and open-minded in her writing. This morning I was very pleasantly surprised to read her blog, in which she defends Pro-Life organizations like the Cookeville Pregnancy Center. Definitely worth reading!
This is exactly the kind of dialogue we need to have in this country! Well-reasoned people of opposing viewpoints who are willing to challenge their own pre-conceived notions to see if they match up with reality.
So what are some of your favorite places to get news? I’m always looking for new sources. My favorite blog? Around the World with AiG’s Ken Ham
