How to Read the News this World Freedom Day

When the Berlin Wall fell on November 9th, 1989, people celebrated worldwide. Its demolishment represented Germany’s reunification and freedom of thought, movement, and livelihood for hundreds of thousands of Germans. This victory over a failed communist experiment also meant the end of the Cold War.

It can be hard to believe that these events took place only 33 years ago or that for nearly three decades before that, a wall separated families and communities from one another and posed harsh, inhumane consequences for anyone who tried to cross it illegally. But when put into perspective, is it really that hard to believe?

Today, millions of people still suffer under oppressive regimes, even though we may not hear as much about their plight through American media sources as we should. The Taliban’s overthrow of the Afghan government made headlines in August, and nearly everyone knows that North Korea is one of the most repressive countries globally with a long list of human rights violations. But we do not hear as much about the dictatorship in Equatorial Guinea or women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. This is the information we must intentionally seek out ourselves and discuss with others.

In honor of World Freedom Day, we have compiled a list of several news sources that will help you stay up to date on world events. Because information overload can lead to inaction, we recommend you subscribe to one or two sources that you find most accessible. Then, of course, let’s get to work on helping more people claim their rights to freedom worldwide!

1. The New York Times: Long heralded as one of the preeminent American newspapers, the NYT holds its journalists to high standards of ethics and truth.
2. The Washington Post: Another distinguished American newspaper, The Washington Post also hires skilled reports to write on world events.
3. The BBC: A British-based publication can give us a slightly broader perspective than some American news sources, as well as an additional critical lens on events in the United States.
4. Foreign Affairs: This is a bi-monthly magazine reporting on world affairs; great for those who do not want to read the news every day.
5. The Atlantic: A stylish, monthly magazine, The Atlantic publishes well-curated pieces on culture and politics.
6. Real Clear World: This is a great source for news stories that go unreported by larger publications.
7. All Africa: Although Africa is a huge continent with 54 recognized countries, this publication attempts to keep up with them all, and it does a pretty good job of it.
8. Al Jazeera: This is one of the most popular publications documenting the Middle East, and it manages to circumvent a great deal of censorship.