Introduction

We all use our conventional news sources to keep us reliably informed of what is going on in the world: The BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera International, Reuters, AP or any one of any number of national and international news sources. It is a global network now so we can use whatever sources we prefer to get whatever slant we are looking for. The internet has also made it much easier to get hold of important news. Yet there are some bizarre sources that we can rely on

1. IMDB

One of the most useful media sources on the internet is the first stop for film buffs and professionals alike. It is nearly always first for media and film news largely because it is edited by professionals and can be quickly disseminated amongst interested fans. It has also been sued for reporting correct information ‘ the site published the actual birthdate and age of actress Junie Hoang who insisted that the information was preventing her from getting work. The case was eventually thrown out of court

2. Wikipedia

The bane of educational establishments everywhere does not really deserve its negative reputation for publishing inaccurate information. The problem is that anybody can publish and edit a page. This also means that any wrong information is going to be corrected by somebody more expert than you are. While it is not advisable to use it for school work, the fact that it does link to freely available scholarly sources means that it can be a useful starting point ‘ open source academic papers for example

3. TMZ

The web’s version of ‘the gutter press’ with its superficial obsession with the lives of celebrities (and not really understanding the meaning of the word ‘privacy’) is notable because it is so accurate most of the time. It is considered such a vital and accurate source that on those rare occasions that it does get something wrong, it does make regular news. They famously and mistakenly reported that rapper Lil Wayne was in a come when he was not. TMZ reports that their dedicated research team scours the relevant city for any confirmation before publishing a story

4. Christian Science Monitor

Its title may turn off a large number of its potential users ‘ especially the dichotomy between ‘Christian’ and ‘Science’, even more especially considering it reports largely on neither to any large degree. Founded in 1908, even now over 100 years later it is considered one of the most reliable news sources on the web and it still publishes as a daily newspaper. News ranking source NewsTrust ranks it 3.6/5 for fairness and balanced reporting. Compare that to the BBC which has 3.5/5.

5. Rolling Stone

The highest rated magazine in the NewsTrust database (with a score of 4.1) is this globally popular music and culture magazine. It was founded in 1967 it was initially dedicated to music and lifestyle counterculture so endemic of the 1960s. It has grown in popularity over the decades, providing an alternative view of culture, politics and global events. It is judged to be the most balanced and open magazine for reporting on social commentary and it still has music and popular culture at its core

6. Think Progress

Blogs are rarely considered reliable news sources, especially when their background is political in nature. In a country often at war with itself over politics ‘ a non-partisan progressive site might be just what the average American needs. Think Progress is critical of both major US parties equally, offering commentary on stories in the news in the USA and around the world, sometimes reporting on stories or presenting viewpoints that others might feel are too risky. Think Progress has a list of four principles: editorial independence, non-partisan, progressive and committed to accuracy

7. Know Your Meme

Some news is best reported by not reporting anything other than what others are saying about an event. This is the reporting philosophy behind the Know Your Meme site. They compile everything ever reported by anyone on news events as they happen. In the digital age, this is a very clever idea especially as words offered by talking heads and analysts days and weeks later can affect the public perception of an event. KYM catalogues all sources and merely reports what is being said

8. Twitter

Similarly for the reasons that KYM above is a trusted source, the fact that almost everyone on the planet now has a Twitter feed means that big events can be reported on in seconds and in a short number of characters. It is effectively an SMS broadcast all over the planet for anyone to read. Its revolutionary style of mini-blogging and ease of access means that we are often getting reports of events as they happen. Twitter is even used by a number of large sources to gauge a large number of public viewpoints

9. Private Eye

Political satire and critique is one of the big traditions of British media. They simply love lampooning their political leaderships and nobody is safe. The magazine Private Eye has been sued many times for crossing the line in its mockery. It is sometimes adjudged to have distorted the facts but they push the boundaries and report on news stories that major newspapers and TV news would be scared to comment on. Private Eye is clearly non-partisan and mocks all major political parties and figures equally

10. The Rock

Though not a news source, the world is still at a loss for precisely how Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was aware of the death of Osama Bin Laden but it is believed that he was the first to report the news ‘ long before any official government confirmation. Rumours that The Rock floored him with The People’s Eyebrow before hitting him with a series of People’s Elbow have been hotly disputed by all sources involved in the operation

Conclusion

With a global modern news marketplace, we are no longer limited to reading the newspapers we have always read. Events in one part of the world can become global public knowledge within minutes, not just from the local news sources and international correspondents but also through average people using Twitter, Facebook and any number of other social media.