From defunding NPR, consolidating ownership of CNN and CBS under billionaire toadies, gutting the Washington Post, or pressuring networks to cancel or fire individual shows and reporters, the Trump regime has fully moved into authoritarianism. To get the truth of what is really happening on the ground you must seek other sources than legacy media who continue bow down by underplaying the truth, promoting MAGA lies and generally refusing to fully cover this corrupt regime.
We continually update this page with suggestions from our readers.
The Boston Globe– a good traditional newspaper that requires a subscription.
Heather Cox Richardson– News with a historical context. The best commentary on how the news of the day fits a historical context. Read her free daily newsletter, or listen to her on Facebook or Youtube. More features with paid subscription.
Robert Hubbell First Edition– Summary of political news and actions with a critical eye on corporate media. A good balance between clear-eyed analysis and democracy advocacy. Free daily newsletter. Audio feature, if you prefer to listen. More features with paid subscription.
BBC News Watch easily on Youtube. The BBC is very widely used across the political spectrum. It is the most popular source of news among both Conservative and Labour voters, and among both Leave and Remain voters. Similarly, the UK’s independent communications regulator Ofcom has found that large majorities of audiences in the UK value public service media providers like the BBC very highly for providing trustworthy news programs that help people understand what is going on in the world.
19thnews.org/newsletters/daily/– Non-profit national news focussing on gender and LGTBQ policy and stories.
APNews– Non-profit news collaborative, owned by members. Some both sides-ism but better than New York Times or Washington Post.
Brian Tyler Cohen is one of the most viewed independent progressive political hosts on YouTube. He has videos on youtube and a podcast, if you prefer listening. He has daily breaking news clips followed by in-depth commentary; and interviews with top figures (including President Biden, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, AOC, Elizabeth Warren, Jamie Raskin, Pete Buttigieg, Mark Cuban, Jen Psaki, Rachel Maddow, Nancy Pelosi, and many more);
The Bulwark Analysis and reporting in defense of America’s liberal democracy. A refreshing take from former Republicans. Featuring: Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Bill Kristol, Jonathan V. Last, Mona Charen, A.B. Stoddard, Michael Steele, and George Conway. If you are missing cable news, watch them on Youtube, or find articles, newsletters and podcasts on the website.
The Contrarian Jennifer Rubin has left The Washington Post to start a new pro-democracy website with her fellow refugees from Bezos (their tagline is “not owned by anybody”). She will include guest writers to discuss the “unvarnished truth” and “voices that speak to wider audiences, ones not served by corporate media pablum.” Free and paid levels
Democracy Now Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez and founded in 1996. Democracy Now! is audience-supported, which means that their editorial independence is never compromised by corporate or government interests. Tom Hartman has a program here in addition to his newsletter, The Hartman Report.
MeidasNews.com (MTN) MeidasTouch Network (MTN) was founded by three brothers Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas. MTN is a pro-democracy news network. MTN has quickly established itself as one of the most viewed and visited news networks in the world. Read more about the team behind this very popular site. The youtube channel, Meidas Touch, is independently owned and operated. Youtube has moved to AI generated hyperbolic titles on the thumbnails, which can be off-putting.
MSNBC: Some shows on this channel have not compromised their reporting yet. I am familiar with Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, and Lawrence O’Donnell.
PBS/NPR– Prefer watching? You can find PBS Newshour on your TV or online. If you are a member, you can use your “passport” to watch shows at your convenience. Prefer listening? You can stream national public radio on your phone or computer. Massachusetts has two public radio stations WBUR and GBH. The websites also offer newsletters, podcasts and written articles. Trump is attacking them financially – please consider redirecting your subscription money from Washington Post, New York Times and Paramount Plus to NPR.
ProPublica– In-depth Investigative reporting. Free, donations are requested.
Zeteo is a substack newsletter and website founded by Medhi Hassan, who resigned from MSNBC after they cancelled his show and tried to demote him, launched his own media company. “Zeteo is not just a media company; it’s a movement for media accountability. So join us as we challenge the powerful, change the narrative, and champion good ol’ fashioned adversarial journalism.”
Paid Media
The Atlantic– In-depth analysis with a conservative view. Very good articles by Anne Applebaum on Authoritarianism and Ukraine.
Jessica Valenti, Abortion Every Day– Abortion news from every corner of the country. You won’t find these stories in legacy media.
Joyce Vance, Civil Discourse– In-depth legal news from a former US Attorney and Federal Prosecutor.
Marc Elias, Democracy Docket– The legal team that fights for voting rights and election fairness every day in every state. There is limited free access.
Rolling Stone– In-depth reporting.
Indivisible Acton Area– Your local Indivisible newsletter.
Indivisible Mass Coalition (IMC)– Your statewide Indivisible newsletter.
Indivisible National– Get messages and actions directly from Ezra and Leah, Co-Founders of Indivisible.
Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water– National actions.
Justice4Thursdays A informative newsletter for sharing the speeches made at the Justice 4 All Thursdays events at the ICE Office in Burlington, MA. These speeches document the ongoing abuses of ICE.
The Grassroots Connector– Connect and learn about Grassroots efforts across the nation.
The Saturday Scoop-Get in depth information and important actions from Act on Mass about our Massachusetts State government every Saturday. Past issues here.
MAGA is expert at weaponizing media to create a toxic stew of chaos, despair, and disinformation. One way we can keep up our strength to fight back is to be thoughtful about the media we consume.
Make a conscious decision about when and where you get news.
What you choose to pay attention to during the day has an impact on you. Which news sources help you understand the world more fully, and which ones only leave you fearful and despairing? Many “news” sources are designed to trigger fears, sell products, create an addiction to that source, or reinforce pre-existing beliefs. If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, we suggest you limit these:
- Social Media– Limit scrolling- set a consistent time and time limit. Turn off notifications. Trade Twitter for BlueSky. Remember Facebook and Instagram are tweaking their algorithms to curry favor with Trump. Foreign bots are rampaging on social media with laughing emojis and discouraging messages-remember these aren’t even American bots.
- Legacy Print Media– The New York Times and Washington Post have consistently normalized and sane-washed Trump. Layoffs and resignations have depleted their ranks of serious journalists. Especially skip their “op-ed” pages. Turn off notifications. You could even cancel and use the money for other sources. Heather Cox Richardson and Robert Hubbell often include gift articles for these papers.
- Cable News– CNN made a conscious decision to move towards MAGA. Their last journalist standing, Jim Acosta, resigned 1/28/25 on the air. MSNBC varies (Morning Joe bent the knee at Mar-a-Lago immediately after the election): choose one to follow, then turn the rest off. Rachel Maddow has a show on Monday nights.
We are updating this page often. Do you have a suggestion that isn’t already listed? Email Christine@IndivisibleActon.org
You must be logged in to post a comment.