Reliable Media
Do they exist?
Neither legacy media nor independent internet media is inherently better in all cases—the most reliable approach is understanding what each does well, where each falls short, and how to use them together.
Legacy media (newspapers, public radio, major TV networks) generally excels at:
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Professional fact-checking and editorial standards
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Legal accountability (corrections, retractions, libel risk)
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Access to institutions, documents, and on-the-ground reporting
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Consistent coverage of local government and public records
Its weaknesses can include corporate ownership pressures, limited perspectives, slower response to emerging stories, and sometimes cautious or status-quo framing.
Independent internet media (Substack writers, nonprofit newsrooms, investigative collectives, independent journalists) often shines at:
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Breaking stories ignored by mainstream outlets
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Offering deeper context, lived experience, or movement-based analysis
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Speed, flexibility, and niche expertise
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Challenging dominant narratives and power structures
Its risks include uneven fact-checking, reliance on individual credibility, financial incentives tied to engagement, and fewer safeguards against error.
The most reliable strategy isn’t choosing one—it’s triangulating.
Use legacy media for verified facts and institutional reporting, and independent media for depth, critique, and perspectives that might otherwise be excluded. When both are reporting the same facts—even from different angles—you can have greater confidence. When they diverge, that’s a signal to slow down, verify, and look for primary sources.
In short: legacy media provides structure and accountability; independent media provides agility and challenge. A healthy information diet needs both.
Additional tips when vetting media output
When something seems questionable, check independent fact-checkers such as PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, or Snopes. If an important claim is true, multiple reputable outlets will report it. Compare coverage across several sources rather than relying on one. Reliable outlets cite primary sources, link to documents, name reporters, and correct errors publicly. Vague claims without sourcing are a red flag.
Are are some tried & true reliable media sources in alphabetical order
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The CAD
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Chop Wood Carry Water - Jessica Craven
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The Contrarian
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Courier
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Don't Mourn, Organize
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The Grassroots Connector
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Robert Hubble
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Letters from an American - Heather Cox Richardson
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Robert Reich
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We (the People) Dissent
For Massachusetts Viewers: (however will frequently contain federal issues as well) Coordinated Action Dispatch (CAD) Team is an Action Team of Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition (IMC).
Each week, the IMC-CAD Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAD Team Action Submission Form, and works with legislative experts (Indivisible, ACLU, Common Cause, Progressive Mass, MIRA, and many others) to vet and prioritize a short list of actions for the week. These are sent to dozens of newsletter editors and individuals each Wednesday through IMC’s “Coordinated Action Dispatch.”
Find actions or validate potential actions with this great tool. It is published on Substack and has links to the sources and well as a detailed google doc on how to take action on the selected issue.
Chop Wood, Carry Water
is a daily political activism Substack newsletter created by organizer and activist Jess Craven that gives readers simple, practical steps they can take each day to be more politically engaged and make a difference. It’s published on weekdays and focuses on concrete actions—such as calling or texting elected officials, showing up locally, writing postcards, or following up on civic issues—that aim to strengthen democracy, support progressive causes, and help elect public servants aligned with those values.
The newsletter is meant to be accessible even in short bursts (typically quick 5–7 minute activities) and also includes a weekly recap with news and insights. It’s popular, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and has related spinoffs focused on specific states or even issues.
Jess Craven herself is a grassroots organizer with experience in door-knocking, phone banking, fundraising, and digital content, and she also offers workshops and content on social media about how everyday people can be effective activists.
Jessica also has a YouTube Channel
Democracy faces an unprecedented threat from an authoritarian movement built on lies and contempt for the rule of law. The first and most critical defense of democracy—a robust, independent free press—has been missing in action. Corporate and billionaire media owners have shied away from confrontation, engaged in false equivalence, and sought to curry favor with Donald Trump. It is hardly surprising that readers and viewers are fleeing from these outlets. Americans need an alternative.
The Contrarian is that alternative: unflinching, unapologetic, and unwavering in its commitment to truth-telling. The Contrarian contributors may not agree on all issues (and, in fact, enjoy lively debate), but we share an unequivocal determination to defend our fundamental freedoms and the values essential to a pluralistic democracy.
From Media Bias/Fact Checker: The Contrarian can be a useful source for ideology-driven political analysis and context from a pro-democracy perspective, but it’s best used alongside a range of mainstream news sources and independent reporting so readers can cross-verify claims and separate opinion from verifiable fact. Its strength is interpretation and commentary; its weakness is lesser editorial filtering than traditional journalism.
Courier Newsroom is a digital media network that operates several state-level news outlets (such as Up North News in Wisconsin and Dogwood in Virginia) in U.S. political swing states. It has a significant, explicit left-leaning and pro-Democratic bias.
COURIER is a pro-democracy news network committed to building a more informed, engaged, and representative America. It meets audiences where they are—on social media and digital platforms—with factual, values-driven reporting brought to life through videos, graphics, and easy-to-read newsletters.
On their site you can find local, News + Analysis, Newsletters, and Podcasts. They also have a download app for your phone
Who are the authors of Don't Mourn, Organize?
They [we] are a group of 10 experienced progressive activists in the Boston area. Collectively they [we] have centuries of experience in political action. Some of them [us] have also spent years studying social movements, how they evolve and succeed.
They [We] have been involved in movements related to racial equality, the VietNam war, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, intervention in Central America, South African apartheid, affordable housing, labor organizing, reproductive rights, pay equity, economic inequality, women' s rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration, low-income youth, mass incarceration, climate change, voting rights, many electoral campaigns, and more. They [We] believe in following the lead of those most impacted.
Don’t Mourn, Organize is a useful newsletter for resister/activists who want actionable grassroots engagement — especially around local events in Eastern Massachusetts tied to broader progressive causes. It’s strongest when you’re looking for specific protests, volunteer opportunities, and curated activist recommendations. Actionable & Practical: The newsletter goes beyond commentary by pointing readers to specific actions they can participate in, including ongoing protests and volunteer options.
Grassroots Connector is a group of volunteer grassroots group leaders who are committed to amplifying the power and the voice of the grassroots. The Grassroots Connector is their Substack publication. We report on innovative grassroots projects and the latest research on voter contact strategies. Beyond words on a page, we offer spaces for leaders to come together, share, and grow.
The Grassroots Connector isn't just a newsletter—it's a hub of inspiration, innovation, and united purpose, sustaining effective grassroots leadership for 2025 and beyond.
The Grassroots Connector Substack is a useful resource for activists and organizers who want to:
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learn from grassroots campaigns across the U.S.,
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find practical ideas for community engagement and voter outreach,
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stay connected to a network of volunteer-led groups.
It’s not a mainstream news source but rather a specialist newsletter with a community-building mission — valuable within that context but best read alongside broader reporting and independent information sources.
Robert Hubbell
Why subscribe to Today’s Edition Newsletter? by Robert Hubbell
The newsletter started in February 2017 as my effort (as a father and husband) to provide hope and perspective to my family after the unexpected results of the 2016 election. Over time, my family email was shared among friends and became of community of like-minded citizens devoted to preserving American democracy.
Everyone is welcome as a free subscriber to Today’s Edition Newsletter, though paying subscribers help me to devote more of my available time to the newsletter.
I am humbled by your support. Welcome to our community!
Frequently posts protest pictures as submitted by his readers!
Per ChatGPT [AI]
Robert B. Hubbell is valued by many readers for thoughtful, clear political commentary that combines legal insight and encouragement for civic participation. His Today’s Edition newsletter is seen as a reliable space for subscribers who want digestible analysis and motivation during complex political times. However, like all opinion-driven commentary, it’s best understood as a perspective within a broader ecosystem of sources, not as a substitute for independent reporting
Heather Cox Richardson
About Letters from an American
Historians are fond of saying that the past doesn’t repeat itself; it rhymes.
To understand the present, we have to understand how we got here.
That’s where this newsletter comes in.
I’m a professor of American history. This is a chronicle of today’s political landscape, but because you can’t get a grip on today’s politics without an outline of America’s Constitution, and laws, and the economy, and social customs, this newsletter explores what it means, and what it has meant, to be an American.
These were the same questions a famous observer asked in a book of letters he published in 1782, the year before the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War.
Hector St. John de Crevecoeur called his book “Letters from an American Farmer.”
Like I say, history doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure rhymes.
Media Bias/Fact Check rate factual reporting High due to proper sourcing of information and a clean fact-check record.
Frequency: Daily on Substack & Facebook and Politics Chat on YouTube
Follow Heather also on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en
From Reich's About page on Substack:
The dark forces of authoritarianism are very much with us, along with growing inequality and corruption. There’s no simple remedy. But part of the answer is to grow a community of people committed to spreading the truth and contributing to a better world. Which is why I’m here, and presumably why you are.
The reason I write this daily newsletter is not just to inform (and occasionally amuse) you, but also to arm you with the truth — about how the system works and doesn’t, where power is located and where it’s lacking, and the myths and lies used by those who are blocking positive social change — so you can fight more effectively for the common good.
Here’s my deal. I’ll continue to give you the facts and arguments, even sprinkle in drawings and videos. I’ll do whatever I can to help strengthen your understanding and resolve, and give you the information you need.
In return, please use the facts, arguments, drawings and videos to continue the fight. To fight harder. And enlist others.
Who Robert Reich Is
Robert B. Reich is an American public policy professor, author, commentator, and former U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton. He teaches public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, has written many books on economics and democracy, and co-founded Inequality Media to educate the public about economic issues. He also writes a widely read Substack newsletter and frequently contributes commentary to mainstream and opinion outlets.
Factual Reporting: Independent media analysts like Media Bias/Fact Check rate Reich’s Substack and related media content as high in factual reporting — meaning his statements are generally backed by reputable evidence and clear sourcing.
Reich can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
We (the People) Dissent
is a bulletin board that serves as a collection of information and announcements about upcoming protests, boycotts, call campaigns, and strikes. Their commitment is to keep it simple and offer a variety of ways for people to engage. It’s a Substack site that also provides articles about the protests taking place within the movement.
To find the article list, scroll through the home page and look for “Protests this week.” Alternatively, you can use this link to access the US Map of Weekly Protests. Below is a screenshot of what the national list of protests looks like.
Legacy Media Suggestions
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