What Are the Best European News Sources?
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  What Are the Best European News Sources?
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Author Topic: What Are the Best European News Sources?  (Read 1628 times)
H. Ross Peron
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« on: February 26, 2015, 12:38:25 PM »

I've been torn recently over which news sources to consult for European news.

For Britain, the obvious choice would have been the Times, but that particular paper has hidden itself behind a paywall for years. Since then I've been torn between the Daily Telegraph which seems to be the most substantive newspaper around albeit with a strong right-wing tilt and the Guardian whose politics are rather more palatable but whose articles seem more like those in Huffington Post than the New York Times. As for magazines, New Statesman seems to be the best choice.

In France I'm going with Le Monde.

As for Germany, I've heard good thing about FAZ and Der Spiegel.
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compson III
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« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2015, 01:08:33 PM »
« Edited: February 26, 2015, 01:34:05 PM by compson III »

Financial Times

This reminds of Noam Chomsky once saying he only reads The Wall Street Journal.  Meaning it's the only US paper that can't be filled with fluff - the readers need reality because they are the actual decision makers.

But actually I think that's out the window and the decision makers aren't even paying attention to reality anymore.  This is the FoxNews phenomenon where the decision makers on that side of the spectrum have actually begun to believe the ridiculous ideologies they export.  

Now you have a situation in which a ridiculous doctrine like Austerity which was employed to protect creditors is now paradoxically going to destroy the creditors.  Because private creditors have little actual exposure to Greek bonds, but plenty of exposure to the other PIIGS (which without Greece is of course PIIS).  And letting Grexit happen would certainly risk contagion spreading to the other periphery bonds.  But considering how low periphery yields already are, it is no surprise investors are delusional.

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Antonio the Sixth
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« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2015, 01:33:36 PM »

In France, Le Monde is pretty good, yeah. Le Figaro is full of hypocritical right-wing hacks, and Libération relies too much on shock value and doesn't have much substance.

In Italy, all the major newspapers are pretty good, except for the Berlusconi-owned ones (Il Giornale, Libero, Il Foglio... avoid them like the plague). My personal favorite La Repubblica, but Il Corriere and La Stampa are good alternatives. We also have a journal representing the Italian brand of True Leftism (which is better described as True Anti-Establishmentism), called Il Fatto Quotidiano. It's sometimes worth reading, but extremely hackish.
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« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2015, 01:53:23 PM »

The four mainstream UK newspapers (most of the tabloids are dreck, aside from weirdly enough the MoS) all have flaws. The Times certainly feels like a paper steeped in tradition, but it like all papers have cheapened themselves. Would a reputable paper feel confident hiring horrible people like AA Gill?

The Torygraph and the Graun are hiding in the gutter at the moment (with the telegraph chasing the MailOnline audience and American radicals; while CiF plumbs pretty shameful depths to grab the MOther Jones crowd). The former is also owned by the Barclay Bros. - newspaper magnates that make Murdoch look like a saint. That leaves the Independent, which I've always found incredibly tedious and sanctimonious.
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Filuwaúrdjan
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« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2015, 01:54:55 PM »

The best online British news source is actually the dear old BBC. Given the pressures the newspaper industry is under these days, expect that to only get truer as a the years roll by.* The newspapers are increasingly hit and miss, though The Times is not worth reading these days. The Guardian is best for culture and investigative journalism and is also good for sport, but its politics coverage is now very poor (though not necessarily in the direction you might expect). The FT is good (if focused on business news, for obvious reasons... but it even has some good culture stuff) though hides behind a formidable paywall of terror. As for the The Daily Telegraph... well be warned that whenever an election is in the offing it tends to transform from being a right-wing but not exactly partisan publication into a CCHQ mouthpiece. Its general quality has declined notably in recent years anyway (though I hear its still good for sport). The Independent is also not the paper that it used to be, which is a crying shame.

On further reflection, the Grauniad and the Torygraph are both excellent for obituaries, which isn't exactly what you asked for, but whatever.

*Of course the Beeb is under pressures of its own and its general output has suffered consequently, but it's issues are not existential and (more to the point) it has (and will continue to have) enough resources for proper journalism.
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Filuwaúrdjan
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« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2015, 01:56:58 PM »

all papers have cheapened themselves. Would a reputable paper feel confident hiring horrible people like AA Gill?

These are both excellent points.

Incidentally, the Gruaniad's website has recently abandoned a very user-friendly format to one as sh!t as all the other papers. This is annoying.

But, again, the best source of online news is the Beeb.
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« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2015, 02:00:25 PM »

In brighter news the New Standard has vastly improved from when it was owned by arch-Blairites in the Noughties.

The Economist also has very good science/tech articles for a general audience, and they can present interesting world news. As long as you take their 'advice' with a whiff of caution - they have very one-track minds...
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politicus
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« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2015, 02:04:34 PM »

I've been torn recently over which news sources to consult for European news.

You left out one obvious piece of info: Which languages are you able to read and on what level?
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H. Ross Peron
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« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2015, 02:06:48 PM »

I've been torn recently over which news sources to consult for European news.

You left out one obvious piece of info: Which languages are you able to read and on what level?


Essentially just English. Reading news in French and German is just as much for practicing those languages as for getting news content. Der Spiegel seems to have good articles in translation however.
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politicus
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« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2015, 02:14:17 PM »

I've been torn recently over which news sources to consult for European news.

You left out one obvious piece of info: Which languages are you able to read and on what level?


Essentially just English. Reading news in French and German is just as much for practicing those languages as for getting news content. Der Spiegel seems to have good articles in translation however.

Spiegel is great. I like Deutsche Welle:

http://www.dw.de/

If you are looking for German publishers with news in English.
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afleitch
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« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2015, 03:03:38 PM »

I still buy The Times, simply because in terms of 'things in it to read', it still ranks up there. The Guardian's written content is good even if it's online content is at times atrocious.
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Insula Dei
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« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2015, 03:45:16 PM »

The Guardian site has a lot of worthless fluff, but The Independent has its moments where you think you've accidentally wound up on Upworthy.
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« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2015, 04:11:04 PM »

Weirdly enough the indie's cheap partner, the i, is infinitely more readable and enjoyable than its sister paper.

I'd also recommend Private Eye, which if overrated and with a tendency to distrust authority for the sake of it (Hislop has never really apologised for the magazine's terrible behaviour during the MMR crisis), has some of the more intriguing whistleblowing journalism in the countrY.
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ingemann
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« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2015, 04:30:12 PM »

I would say that BBC is the best source of Europeans news in English. At least if we are talking fresh news with relative easy access.
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Hnv1
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« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2015, 04:42:47 PM »

As a publication I enjoy the New Statesman though I dislike most of the young writers. I don't live in the UK but when I'm there I usually pick up the times as it reminds in journalistic qualities the most of Haaretz (liberal spirit aside). As a website I go to the guardian because it's free but it's rather dull.

I don't read french but regarding German papers I found TAZ to be actually decent, and FAZ is also good despite being fairly conservative. Der Spiegel in recent years is less to my liking aber Die Zeit is fairly decent.

I also get the LMD once a month which is always a combo between interesting pieces and weird french left columnists thinking it's still the 50s and third worldism is the next big thing
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Barnes
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« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2015, 01:42:25 PM »

I rely heavily on the BBC for most of my news - European or otherwise.

I also try to read Le Monde, which I get at school, to practice my French and just because.  I swear we used to get Der Spiegel in print here, but now I confined to reading it online.
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Tender Branson
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« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2015, 01:48:22 PM »

TheLocal is also good (for English news about various countries).

Just type in:

www.thelocal

and then either:

.at
.de
.ch
.se
.dk
.no
.fr
.es
.it
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Tender Branson
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« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2015, 01:53:57 PM »

For Austria, the best sites are:

Public broadcaster

* http://orf.at

Major newspapers

* http://derstandard.at
* http://diepresse.com
* http://kurier.at
* http://wienerzeitung.at

Tabloids

* http://krone.at
* http://oe24.at
* http://heute.at
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Oakvale
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« Reply #18 on: March 01, 2015, 06:52:52 AM »

Russia Today.
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Cubby
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« Reply #19 on: March 07, 2015, 06:01:48 PM »

I use:

England: The Guardian & The Economist. The BBC sometimes. Daily Telegraph only if I'm interested in how the other half views a particular story.

France: Le Monde

Germany: Anything but Bild. I'm open to suggestions
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ingemann
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« Reply #20 on: March 07, 2015, 06:15:38 PM »

TheLocal is also good (for English news about various countries).

Just type in:

www.thelocal

and then either:

.at
.de
.ch
.se
.dk
.no
.fr
.es
.it

The Local are not especially good (the journalism are poor, the articles are amateurish, and I could be hired as translater;p), but when something better (like in Scandinavia) are missing it can be used.
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