Neutral News (not meant to be a political discussion)

[Deleted member 18037]

For unbiased news: NPR listeners give more correct answers when quizzed about current events than consumers of any other news source.

Not unbiased

 

[Deleted member 18037]

The underlying "people" that the information is coming from has to be the same as I am looking at Coronavirus stats in a particular state. I didn't state any of this as it wasn't relevant at all. I was simply asking for a cool place to find charts and graphs about COVID-19 that didn't have so much "slant" with it. @Deleted member 18037 and @JessSyd gave me some ideas.

Like I said... I'm good with understanding data... you're actually typing into a MySQL database right now.

If you want to call it different "data" because they are picking a different column in the database to chart... cool... I agree.

John Hopkins gives state information and drills down to different areas of the states.

They present the data in various ways no spin

 

[Madden3]

For following numbers I have been using my county and state health departments (or the departments for wherever I am looking.) John Hopkins dashboard is also a source I use. Very clear info once you play around with the maps a little and figure out how to find what you are looking for.

 

[Madden3]

My governor today (and it is now being reported by the news as pretty much fact) said that new infections/hospital infections are about 90% from people who have been staying home. I can not tell you how full of cr&p his data is.

Yes I was seeing that (I do not know what % the governor said but actually it is being reported that 66 percent of the surveyed patients came "from home") and I am trying to figure out what the survey actually asked.
These were all people over 50, many retired and the rest unemployed (due to corona shutdown? Not clear) and they had co morbidity. So it makes sense they were not working, and I really did not understand why this seemed strange. This is mostly older or already health compromised people. Just because they came from home does not mean they never left their homes in the days and weeks before being hospitalized. Much is being made about the fact only a few had used public transportation, but it is not like that is the only place to catch something. Then I found this article, and it says that there was no data on public transportation use for HALF the people surveyed. Link Removed

Also, were these people at home with others or alone? Do they live in elevator buildings? Were they going out shopping, visiting others, etc? I do not know if the survey asked these things or not. But these articles are giving the impression people got sick while sitting in their homes alone.

I learned long ago to live with bias in the media and work around it. But I cannot stand the incompetence and lack of curiosity. What exactly were these people asked, and how were they chosen to take this survey in the first place? In other words, what does the survey actually indicate and how reliable is it?

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Also, were these people at home with others or alone? Do they live in elevator buildings? Were they going out shopping, visiting others, etc? I do not know if the survey asked these things or not. But these articles are giving the impression people got sick while sitting in their homes alone.

I learned long ago to live with bias in the media and work around it. But I cannot stand the incompetence and lack of curiosity. What exactly were these people asked, and how were they chosen to take this survey in the first place? In other words, what does the survey actually indicate and how reliable is it?

Exactly, the virus didn’t not walk itself into a home on its own. And I’m going to go out on a ledge here and say nearly all of them did not live all alone in complete isolation for the last few weeks

The sample size was only about 1000 people. The last place these people were was their home. That would be on their intake form. They didn’t come to the hospital from the grocery store or a bar, they weren’t an MVA. And patients are notoriously not quite forthcoming with information, especially when under stress. or perhaps someone else was answering the questions who didn’t know grandma swore she wasn’t leaving the house but was still having her weekly card game with her neighbors at home. You simply don’t know.

I can pretty much guarantee they didn’t drill down to that level in under 24 hours.

This is why I actually watch the news conference and don’t leave it to the news.

 

[skschlag]

Yes I was seeing that (I do not know what % the governor said but actually it is being reported that 66 percent of the surveyed patients came "from home") and I am trying to figure out what the survey actually asked.
These were all people over 50, many retired and the rest unemployed (due to corona shutdown? Not clear) and they had co morbidity. So it makes sense they were not working, and I really did not understand why this seemed strange. This is mostly older or already health compromised people. Just because they came from home does not mean they never left their homes in the days and weeks before being hospitalized. Much is being made about the fact only a few had used public transportation, but it is not like that is the only place to catch something. Then I found this article, and it says that there was no data on public transportation use for HALF the people surveyed. Link Removed

Also, were these people at home with others or alone? Do they live in elevator buildings? Were they going out shopping, visiting others, etc? I do not know if the survey asked these things or not. But these articles are giving the impression people got sick while sitting in their homes alone.

I learned long ago to live with bias in the media and work around it. But I cannot stand the incompetence and lack of curiosity. What exactly were these people asked, and how were they chosen to take this survey in the first place? In other words, what does the survey actually indicate and how reliable is it?

This is so true.

We actually had a professional football player come down with it. He did interviews that he had stayed home, only ordering take out and groceries to be delivered, and had never left his house. This was true. He did not. They were making a big deal in the media about how it must be from the take out.

HOwever, he did mention, in the same interview, that he had been home. And only the plumbers, electricians, house cleaners had been there, oh, and a couple of teammates came over to work out, oh, and right..he had this tattoo that he had gotten while at home. lol. So, yes, he had been "home."

 

[bogwoppit]

This is so true.

We actually had a professional football player come down with it. He did interviews that he had stayed home, only ordering take out and groceries to be delivered, and had never left his house. This was true. He did not. They were making a big deal in the media about how it must be from the take out.

HOwever, he did mention, in the same interview, that he had been home. And only the plumbers, electricians, house cleaners had been there, oh, and a couple of teammates came over to work out, oh, and right..he had this tattoo that he had gotten while at home. lol. So, yes, he had been "home."

You have to laugh at the stupidity of people who do not understand the basic logic that nobody can come into your home, except those who live there.

I am astounded at close friends who have created their own little universe of "rule bending" because the actual ones are too restrictive. I was called paranoid last weekend for not having dinner at someone's home with 4 other people, who do not live together.

 

[skschlag]

You have to laugh at the stupidity of people who do not understand the basic logic that nobody can come into your home, except those who live there.

I am astounded at close friends who have created their own little universe of "rule bending" because the actual ones are too restrictive. I was called paranoid last weekend for not having dinner at someone's home with 4 other people, who do not live together.

I do have 2 friends who have done this. But carefully. Their husbands work together. They go no where else but to each others' homes. All food is delivered. It was needed as one of them has a baby and a toddler with autism. She needed help. The other has teenagers. They have made it work, but really, other than the husbands going to work, they do not go anywhere else, or see any other people. Even the teenagers.

 

[bogwoppit]

I do have 2 friends who have done this. But carefully. Their husbands work together. They go no where else but to each others' homes. All food is delivered. It was needed as one of them has a baby and a toddler with autism. She needed help. The other has teenagers. They have made it work, but really, other than the husbands going to work, they do not go anywhere else, or see any other people. Even the teenagers.

A very different situation. My friends are mixing it up with various folk, one of whom is two months post major cancer surgery.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

This is so true.

We actually had a professional football player come down with it. He did interviews that he had stayed home, only ordering take out and groceries to be delivered, and had never left his house. This was true. He did not. They were making a big deal in the media about how it must be from the take out.

HOwever, he did mention, in the same interview, that he had been home. And only the plumbers, electricians, house cleaners had been there, oh, and a couple of teammates came over to work out, oh, and right..he had this tattoo that he had gotten while at home. lol. So, yes, he had been "home."

Yes exactly as a person who does lab work.
Folks are simply not forth coming with information.

A few of my stories over the years.

Mr Smith, your test results are much higher then they should be, you realize with this medicine you can't drink alcohol......... Oh I not drinking any beer anymore. But the wife and I always have a gin and tonic on the deck in the evenings during the summer.

Gee Miss Smith, we are trying to figure out how your blood sugar got so high as you have been here for a week. Chocolate brought in by relatives in the night stand.

Mrs Smith the blood work we are about to do requires you to be fasting. You have fasted. Oh yes I only had coffee and toast with jam this morning. I didn't have my usual bacon and eggs........

And every MVA that comes in if they are able to speak never cops to drinking. No matter how high their alcohol level is.

Can't make this stuff up.

 

[Gigi]

WSJ? They are not too extreme either way. I feel like they may swing one side to the other mildly, but not always same side and not too far off center. They usually take the POV of the market place.

 

[mommyof1]

WSJ? They are not too extreme either way. I feel like they may swing one side to the other mildly, but not always same side and not too far off center. They usually take the POV of the market place.

The WSJ has a conservative slant.

 

[skschlag]

I usually will refer to a media bias chart when looking at sources. Here is an interesting one. They all are very similar.

 

[bogwoppit]

Al Jazeera is another global news channel I follow. Good reporting, and all about facts.

 

[gymgal]

I usually will refer to a media bias chart when looking at sources. Here is an interesting one. They all are very similar.
View attachment 7843

This chart is laughable. The biggest problem is that there is very little straight forward reporting anymore. In this 24/7 news cycle, almost everything is commentary, not news. 30 years ago, you could know that an anchor was left/right (almost always left) but you would never know it because it was all fact based. who, what, where, when, how. Not so much anymore. Best advice is to read left, right, center and then make your own decisions.

 

[krc]

This chart is laughable. The biggest problem is that there is very little straight forward reporting anymore. In this 24/7 news cycle, almost everything is commentary, not news. 30 years ago, you could know that an anchor was left/right (almost always left) but you would never know it because it was all fact based. who, what, where, when, how. Not so much anymore. Best advice is to read left, right, center and then make your own decisions.

If you read " left, right, center" but you don't trust any sources aren't you just back where you started?

 

[mommyof1]

The advice to look at foreign media perspectives on domestic events is good.

 

[bogwoppit]

This chart is laughable. The biggest problem is that there is very little straight forward reporting anymore. In this 24/7 news cycle, almost everything is commentary, not news. 30 years ago, you could know that an anchor was left/right (almost always left) but you would never know it because it was all fact based. who, what, where, when, how. Not so much anymore. Best advice is to read left, right, center and then make your own decisions.

What is it with the popularity of opinion based reporting in the USA? Being told how to understand the news seems like spoon feeding the masses, whilst dragging them down the dark path to your house.

Try Al Jazeera for world news reporting, it is about the best you will get. The Economist for very detailed news, with no slant.

 

[MILgymFAM]

@bogwoppit the economist is slanted like everything else in America. I agree on looking to the outside for reporting on domestic affairs.

 

[bogwoppit]

@bogwoppit the economist is slanted like everything else in America. I agree on looking to the outside for reporting on domestic affairs.

You are the first person I have ever heard say that. Slanted in which direction?

You do know that it is a UK owned agency, so outsiders looking in at the USA and not "in America".

Many reputable rating service agree that is is one of the least biased news sources.

The Economist - Bias and Credibility

LEAST BIASED These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using an appeal to emotion

mediabiasfactcheck.com