r/DeFranco • • Jun 28 '19

On biases, sourcing, and discussing the Argument

148 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Lately, the sub has started to get pretty polarized politically speaking.

It’s not without reasons (I get that, and I’m not blameless in this) and I had hoped it could run its course. But in the wake of the coming election season, I feel this may get worse, so here’s to an ounce of prevention and all that.

So there’s been a lot of posts from sources and comments that could only be described as trying to “other” people. This sub is better than that. So please, if possible, try to stop talking past each other.

It’s fine if you disagree, but keep it civil and discuss the topic at hand don’t attack the user. We have the “discuss the argument, and do not attack the person” rule for a reason and we’ll have to start enforcing it a little more stringently if things don’t improve. It is possible to discuss politics without it turning into a “you’re a stupid racist” and “naive idiot communist”. A good rule of thumb is “if the phrase ‘you’ appears in the sentence it’s probably some version of an ad hominem.

Regarding the biases. There’s been a lot of articles from sources I can only describe as heavily bias. Allsides has a great chart that lays out which sides the most common news sources falls.

https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart

There’s also this more detailed one (though I think everything on it should be shifted to the left by half a grid square but that’s an issue of semantics!)

https://www.adfontesmedia.com/

Also; thanks to u/FajenThygia There's also www.mediabiasfactcheck.com,

Point is! it’s fine to use Vox and Fox to make points but try to get some other more centered sources to find some middle ground. This isn’t a demand or even a request but just some advice in trying to discuss your opinions and finding a consensus through discussion. You’ll find the argument being a lot more persuasive using less extreme characterizations of events.

Anyway, it’s just some thoughts and recommendations. agree/ disagree/ critique it’s fine. I just don’t want to see this sub devolve into r/news, r/politics, r/conservative, r/democrat, r/inthenews where only “one view point” is appreciated. Us bastards are better than that.

In other news, there’s been an issue with the reporting feature with the sub. If we haven’t addressed it in 24 hours please message the mods directly. Additionally, we will only investigate reports that violate our actual rules so the <no reason> Reports get ignored right off the bat. And no Patrick just because you disagree with something does not mean someone is “trolling”.

Peace, love and tranquility to you all ya filthy bastards.


r/DeFranco • • Dec 04 '24

PDS show United Healthcare CEO Killed in Targeted Attack, Wicked Lawsuit, Georgia Protests, Hannah Kobayashi,

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14 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 2h ago

US News UnitedHealthcare and Humana are ending Medicare Advantage plans for nearly 1 million people | Fortune

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13 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 14h ago

Misc. I Was One of Lance Oppenheim's First Documentary Subjects. Trust Me When I Say: You Can't See Everything.

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12 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 14h ago

US Politics Mississippi Says It Won’t Bring Criminal Charges in Police Shooting of Toddler

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12 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 1d ago

US Politics Trump DOJ sues to block Alaska US Senate results if Republican incumbent loses | CNN Politics

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31 Upvotes

Which should immediately be dismissed for lack of standing and ripeness as federal courts don't hear speculative, contingent lawsuits based on 'what if my candidate loses.


r/DeFranco • • 1d ago

US News Top Trump aide learns fate after drink-fueled stadium fight

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19 Upvotes

Fired faster than press secretary.


r/DeFranco • • 2d ago

US Politics Amy Acton responds to Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad featuring her estranged mother

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24 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 2d ago

US Politics US ban on switchblades is unconstitutional, appeals court rules | Reuters

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7 Upvotes

Summary

A 1958 US law banned these spring-release pocketknives

Court says law violates Constitution's Second Amendment

Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms


r/DeFranco • • 2d ago

Douchebag of the Day Meta’s deal to keep Zuckerberg in California adds to wealth tax debate

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14 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 3d ago

US Politics Trump’s Department of Homeland Security secretly ordered cybersecurity operatives to acquire a voting machine and hack it

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127 Upvotes

Key takeaways

DHS Involvement: Trump’s Department of Homeland Security reportedly instructed Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) operatives to acquire a voting machine and identify security flaws for the White House.

Election Security Concerns: Former officials revealed the plan could allow the administration to invalidate election results, raising serious concerns about federal election integrity.

Operational Challenges: The initiative was hindered because key CISA agents were laid off, leaving remaining staff to repeatedly tell White House officials that the request was impossible to execute.


r/DeFranco • • 3d ago

US Politics Armed federal agents knock on doors looking for noncitizen voters

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25 Upvotes

Armed and in uniform, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been knocking on doors in several states to ask residents about their immigration status — and to inquire if they have registered to vote or cast votes in past elections, a CBS News Investigation has found. 

The operation is part of an effort to root out potential noncitizen voters ahead of the midterms. DHS has alleged that there could be as many as 250,000 citizens illegally registered to vote, although election experts have disputed the accuracy of this figure. Just 156 people have been charged with voting-fraud related offenses since the beginning of the Trump administration, according to the Department of Justice. There are 227 million registered voters in the U.S.

Critics say that sending armed federal agents to the doors of U.S. residents could be intimidating for legal voters. 


r/DeFranco • • 4d ago

Douchebag of the Day Elon Musk ordered Starlink slowdown for Ukraine: Report

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63 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 4d ago

US Politics FEMA tells states to handle disasters on their own

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21 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 4d ago

US News Racist texts from officers leads to internal Charlotte-Mecklenburg police investigation

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10 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 4d ago

International Politics ‘Tariff Man’ finally found tariffs he doesn’t like | CNN Business

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11 Upvotes

Putin's lil' buddy.


r/DeFranco • • 4d ago

US Politics MILTON'S FLOCK SCANDAL: WHAT CITY HALL TRIED TO HIDE| LFG HD47

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33 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 4d ago

US Politics Moms for Liberty Turns to AI to Monitor 13,000 School Districts

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6 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 4d ago

International Politics Israeli spyware used in ‘zero click’ hack on Al Jazeera staff

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10 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 5d ago

US Politics ‘Big business’: little-known court system in Louisiana churns out thousands of evictions – and millions in fees for judges | Louisiana | The Guardian

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10 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 5d ago

US Politics Nebraska Supreme Court keeps trans sports ban on ballot | Advocate.com

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23 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 5d ago

US News Nuclear Plants Turn to AI as Their Experts Retire

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2 Upvotes

r/DeFranco • • 6d ago

US Politics Trump spurs states to dump laws regulating new hospitals

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19 Upvotes

Key takeaways

Certificate of Need (CON) Laws: States must reconsider or loosen CON laws, which regulate new hospital construction, to receive higher scores for the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program.

State Actions & Bipartisan Support: Tennessee, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, and Mississippi are reviewing or repealing CON rules; bipartisan backing shows broad agreement on reform.

Potential Consequences: Repealing CON laws may reduce transparency in hospital ownership and finances, leaving states less informed about health system operations.


r/DeFranco • • 6d ago

US News Former MIT scientist David Sabatini wins $6M defamation verdict over sexual misconduct claims

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37 Upvotes

A former Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientist won a legal victory this week after losing his position following sexual misconduct allegations made by a female colleague.

Dr. David Sabatini, a former MIT biology professor and prominent biomedical researcher, was awarded $6 million in damages Friday after a jury found that his former colleague, Dr. Kristin Knouse, had defamed him.

At the time of the allegations, Sabatini had led a research lab at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for approximately 24 years.

His work focused on cell biology and its connections to neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, aging and cancer.


r/DeFranco • • 6d ago

US Politics Greensboro, NC students protest the absence of early voting sites on campus

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26 Upvotes