I'm curious -- are you well-informed?

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Do you know what "the other side" thinks, or do you believe they think what your "side" says they think? How could you find out what they think? Well, I suppose you could watch their channels, and read their press.

But it very often seems to me that people, having once decided where they stand politically, restrict all of their information gathering to sources that tell them what they've already decided on. No true "liberal" would watch Fox News, would they? (I do.) No true "conservative" could stand more than 11 seconds of CNN. (I'm a liberal, and I admit I find it hard, too, but I listen anyway.)

I read 3 newspapers in my home town -- two of them consistently conservative, one consistently liberal. There's another, but it's so rabidly left-wing that I don't read it, in fact.

So, how about you? Do you really know what "they" think -- before you decide that "they" are wrong?

 

[Sand Dancer]

I am really sporadic at it, but I try to look at centrist outlets; center-left and center-right.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I consistently and very deliberately look at things from a variety of views.
I rarely include the extreme right in that, so I won't pretend I check in on them. Almost daily I include more libertarian right views, as well as trying to listen to domain experts on some political topics (eg education policy reform and funding reform) who are sometimes less partisan and more outcome focused.

(I'm broadly centre-left, I guess)

 

[Revoltingest]

By my calculations, 94.7% of people in USA
don't understand they other side. They believe
they do...but then they describe their foes as
slobbering ignorant hypocritical pawns of Satan.

 

[Stevicus]

Do you know what "the other side" thinks, or do you believe they think what your "side" says they think? How could you find out what they think? Well, I suppose you could watch their channels, and read their press.

But it very often seems to me that people, having once decided where they stand politically, restrict all of their information gathering to sources that tell them what they've already decided on. No true "liberal" would watch Fox News, would they? (I do.) No true "conservative" could stand more than 11 seconds of CNN. (I'm a liberal, and I admit I find it hard, too, but I listen anyway.)

I read 3 newspapers in my home town -- two of them consistently conservative, one consistently liberal. There's another, but it's so rabidly left-wing that I don't read it, in fact.

So, how about you? Do you really know what "they" think -- before you decide that "they" are wrong?

I try to at least stay up on most issues and events of the day. I can't know how everyone thinks, but I try to acquaint myself with the issues important to both sides and the commonly-used arguments to support their positions. I mostly stick with the AP and UPI news sites, although there's a few local sites I frequent for local news. Since there's so many news sites which don't have paywalls, I can avoid the ones which do.

I usually try to avoid any news which reeks of celebrity gossip, but along the same lines, I don't have much interest in getting caught up in political gossip either. Same for panel discussions which don't really present the news, but they seemingly want to discuss news stories and issues and put their own spin and interpretation. All I want from news sources is factual data and information, not conjecture, speculation, opinions, interpretations, or feelings. I will make up my own mind, thank you very much.

 

[Quintessence]

I don't care what "they" think.

I care what "they" actually do.

And in my state, that record speaks for itself. Unemployment benefits? Slashed - we're now on the bottom of the pile in the nation. Public education? Continuously under-funded - what was once in the top of the nation is now also sliding down into the bottom of the pile. Oh, and let's divert public money to private religious schools because why not. Clean water? Forget it - industrial agriculture is the controlling interest and a record number of lakes on public lands had to be closed last year. Basic human rights? Public safety? Ridiculous - beyond enshrining gun rights over basic human rights this past election, now the legislature is going to allow guns on the grounds of all schools and businesses because reasons.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Sometimes I try, but also at times I just want to bury my head in the sand.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I must admit that this is rather tempting:



I make up my mind without listening to what anybody thinks -- including those I vote for

Something about bliss?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

By my calculations, 94.7% of people in USA
don't understand they other side. They believe
they do...but then they describe their foes as
slobbering ignorant hypocritical pawns of Satan.

And Yes, you are!

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

By my calculations, 94.7% of people in USA
don't understand they other side. They believe
they do...but then they describe their foes as
slobbering ignorant hypocritical pawns of Satan.

And I have to say, from my own observations (incomplete though they might be), you are quite right. And yet, as I write this, over 81% of responders claim to keep themselves informed. 'Tis a surprise, a veritable surprise, I tell you.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I must admit that this is rather tempting:



I make up my mind without listening to what anybody thinks -- including those I vote for

Something about bliss?

Or perhaps you vote the "strong sexual attraction" ticket?

 

[Viker]

I do peruse the other side. I feel I need to know in order to make more informed choices and know what I am up against. I may find seemingly unlikely allies or agreement, not everyone is a rabid maniac. I don't spend all my time doing so. But having to know does pique my interest.

 

[Nimos]

So, how about you? Do you really know what "they" think -- before you decide that "they" are wrong?

I have to admit that politics in general doesn't interest me a whole lot. But I listen to both sides when possible, but most of the time with politicians, they either don't really answer the questions or they say one thing and do another

 

[Subduction Zone]

Or perhaps you vote the "strong sexual attraction" ticket?

AOC all the way baby! She is hot, hot, hot!

 

[JustGeorge]

Being as we're referring to 'sides' here, I assume this is more about how well informed one is on the political spectrum, and not necessarily new scientific discoveries, or world events. Regarding this niche specifically:

I keep myself informed of local events. I read up on local and state elections, as presented by my print copy of the local paper. I acknowledge the paper is usually pretty neutral, but has a slight left lean.

I don't read far into the national stuff. All I can do is vote every few years. It doesn't do me any good to dwell on it unless an election is coming up, in which I will read up(read, not watch) a bit on the candidates and make a choice. I don't draw it out; it doesn't typically take an awfully long time anymore to choose(sadly).

 

[Augustus]

And yet, as I write this, over 81% of responders claim to keep themselves informed. 'Tis a surprise, a veritable surprise, I tell you.

There is a big difference between keeping yourself informed and making a good faith and empathetic attempt to understand things from another’s perspective.

Most people don’t support the other side because they are bad, morally deficient or hateful morons, but “keeping yourself informed” is often just looking for reasons to feel superior to the bad,morally deficient and hateful morons on the other side.

 

[Heyo]

AOC all the way baby! She is hot, hot, hot!

Bobert isn't ugly either.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Bobert isn't ugly either.

Only on the outside.

 

[Heyo]

Do you know what "the other side" thinks, or do you believe they think what your "side" says they think? How could you find out what they think? Well, I suppose you could watch their channels, and read their press.

But it very often seems to me that people, having once decided where they stand politically, restrict all of their information gathering to sources that tell them what they've already decided on. No true "liberal" would watch Fox News, would they? (I do.) No true "conservative" could stand more than 11 seconds of CNN. (I'm a liberal, and I admit I find it hard, too, but I listen anyway.)

I read 3 newspapers in my home town -- two of them consistently conservative, one consistently liberal. There's another, but it's so rabidly left-wing that I don't read it, in fact.

So, how about you? Do you really know what "they" think -- before you decide that "they" are wrong?

I'm pretty uninformed about politics and when I read up on it, it is from "my" side.
"No true 'conservative' could stand more than 11 seconds of CNN" and I can't stand Fox News or Trump speaking. It is more healthy to get them filtered. And it isn't worth listening anyway. I don't need propaganda, I just want the facts. The best way to get them is by a neutral source, the second best is by a source with a known bias but a reputation of being factual.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I'm pretty uninformed about politics and when I read up on it, it is from "my" side.
"No true 'conservative' could stand more than 11 seconds of CNN" and I can't stand Fox News or Trump speaking. It is more healthy to get them filtered. And it isn't worth listening anyway. I don't need propaganda, I just want the facts. The best way to get them is by a neutral source, the second best is by a source with a known bias but a reputation of being factual.

Reuters and the AP are probably your best bet.