YCCC: Current Events: National Current Events

News Sources

National Public Radio
Public Broadcasting Service
Our mission is to create content that educates, informs and inspires.
C-SPAN
C-SPAN covers LIVE gavel-to-gavel floor proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, public affairs events, congressional hearings and history programming.
Cable News Network - CNN
MSNBC
ProPublica
Winner of 2 Pulitzer Prizes, ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

Current Events Websites

National Priorities Project
Works to help citizens understand the federal budgetary process and to participate in the political process.
U.S. Economy at a Glance
Up-to-date statistics and easy access to U.S. economic information.
Pew Research Center
A nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The center conducts public opinion polling, demographic studies, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. It does not take positions on policy issues.
Pros & Cons of Controversial Issues
Our mission:
Promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format.

Media Accountability

Use these sites to get an impartial look behind the stories being reported--or NOT reported--in the media.

FAIR --Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, we expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled.
more...less...
FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, we expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled.
Snopes
Also known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages, this popular site is an extensive repository of information on rumors and urban legends.
more...less...
Also known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages, this popular site is an extensive repository of information on urban legends.
Open Secrets
OpenSecrets.org is the nation's premier website tracking the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives.
Project Censored
The mission of Project Censored is to teach students and the public about the role of a free press in a free society – and to tell the News That Didn’t Make the News and Why

Statistics

Statistics can be a valuable information resource for many of your projects. However, finding statistical information on the web can be tricky. Fortunately, most government agencies that collect statistical data make that information available online. Here are some top-notch sources for statistics:

FedStats
"Gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies." Browse or search thousands of statistical tables maintained by the U.S. government.
UNdata
A collection of statistics and data sets from nearly 30 United Nations databases.

Evaluating Web Sites

Asking these questions will help you to determine whether the resources you find are credible and reliable.

Who created the page? Does the person or organization have the appropriate credentials?
Why was this site created? What is the purpose of the site? For example, is it sponsored by a company that has a financial interest in the topic?
When was the page created and/or last updated? How current is the information?
Does the author cite trustworthy sources? How does the author support their argument?

Learn more about evaluating websites or check our handy tipsheet:.Evaluating web sites