Help me pick a news magazine for my dad?

[blonndee]

I've decided one of my christmas gifts to my dad will be a news magazine. He and my mom live in a REALLY small, insulated mountain town with no local news and only a monthly "newspaper" that's more like a gossip, what's-new-around-town type publication. They won't watch any news other than Fox, even though they acknowledge that it's biased (understatement of the year IMO). So they're really getting very little news and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they had no idea about Delay and what's going on with Fitzgerald, etc.

But my dad's actually really intelligent (just willfully ignores the news, so I guess there IS a difference between "smart" and "intelligent") and is a big reader so I thought I'd get him a subscription for Christmas. I'm not sure which magazine to get, though. I don't read any regularly except the Progressive, and THAT won't fly, obviously. So I want one that's not too conservative and one that's not obviously "liberal" either, because he won't read it.

Any suggestions?

[evlbstrd]

1. My first suggestion was The Nation.

But that may not fly, either. How about US News and World?

[Generator]

7. I'd pick Newsweek and I hate them too

but they are better than US News which back when we had a subscribtion truly disgusted me. They are very very pro-war, and spent much time defending everything Bush did.

[evlbstrd]

14. Ooh. Sorry. I haven't read it in a long time.

Not at all in the run-up to war.

[blonndee]

16. Newsweek was one that crossed my mind. The last one I read

(looked through, more like) was about the post-Katrina debacle and I was disappointed in it and the rest of the magazine, too. BUT that's from my radical liberal perspective, so I might consider it. That's one my mom might also read. Maybe I could get that for her and something a little meatier for my dad. Thanks!

[I Have A Dream]

28. I would NOT recommend US News and World Report.

I got both US News and World Report and Newsweek during the election period, and it was amazing how much more skewed US News was in favor of Republicans. They also have a dedicated conservative columnist (John Leo) but not a dedicated liberal columnist.

I would recommend Newsweek. It's not perfect, but it is surprisingly good for the corporate-owned media, even before the media started to "wake up".

(Of course, a progressive magazine would be better, but the father would probably just view it as being biased.)

[Systematic Chaos]

2. I just started getting The Nation and I like it.

That might qualify as "obviously 'liberal'", though. Still, it's worth a try. :shrug:

[blonndee]

20. A lot of you guys have recommended the Nation for news.

I've never read it. How does it compare to the rest of the newsweeklies, do you think?

[charlie]

3. Not exactly news

but at 15 bucks a year, Harper's is a spectacular bargain.

[IndyOp]

18. Harpers is fantastic - it has less current news and more

in-depth analysis articles. Harpers articles are long, too.

For news: The Nation
For analysis: Mother Jones or Harpers

IMHO...

:kick:

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

25. Harper's is indispensible

Lapham's editorials are always topical. Sometimes prescient.

If I could afford another subscription it would be to The Nation. But I wouldn't trade any other magazine for Harper's.

[liberalnurse]

4. I agree....

The Nation!!!!!!!:dem:

[marbuc]

5. My fav is American Prospect

Washington Monthly is also good, especially for those wary of partisanship. It does a good job of exploring issues in depth, from the left and right.

[Flubadubya]

6. Again, The Nation... agreed...

I just got a subscription for my dear old Dad of 84 years. He really likes it. Just started getting the copies a few weeks ago.

Oh, and, of course, I like it too!

[wake.up.america]

8. I would suggest "the Economist"

Never Time nor Newsweek.

[AlCzervik]

12. i second that, excellent magazine.

[fishnfla]

32. Third vote for Economist

spot on news

[Allyoop]

13. weekly news magazine

Christian Science Monitor

[ncrainbowgrrl]

9. I like"Reason"

If I remember correctly, it's a monthy magazine... not strictly "hard news," but always a good read. Some of their columnists are more right-leaning, and others are more progressive/liberal. It's a good read.
I don't really buy magazines, but will indulge in a copy of reason when I'm in an airport and the new issue is out.

http://www.reason.com/

[ptolle]

10. mother

If your father is intelligent enough to recognize the quality of both the writing, and the depth of the research which you seem to imply, I'd heartily recommend Mother Jones.It is liberal to progressive, but the quality is so high anyone with an open mind can't help but find lots of food for thought there.

[blonndee]

19. I just bought my first MJ and am really liking it. I'll go back and check

the range of articles and try to imagine how my dad would react to them. Even if it's lib/progressive, if the articles are generally well-supported and the arguments are solid, he might be willing to overlook any partisanship and at least give them a read. Thanks.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Give him two. "The Nation" and "Mother Jones".

Both are excellent.

[Algorem]

15. The Old Dude's Gazette

or The Saturday Afternoon Post.That's for old dudes that are such old dudes that they can't stay up to read the Saturday Evening Post.

[LincolnMcGrath]

17. THE NATION

[libnnc]

21. Another vote for The Nation here

I've just started getting it and I really like it so far. Comes every week and I got the deal where you get 4 issues free and a year for $14.95 (I think?). Heard it advertised on AAR. Try going to www.readthenation.com to get that particular deal.

Mother Jones is good too btw.

[Metta]

22. Newsweek probably is the best link

from where his to where you want him to be. As long as you're not attached to his not reading it. If you bitch and moan you're more likely see him take a polar/ oppostie viewpoint just to carve out his own self space. I think you already know this.

[Neil Lisst]

23. Newsweek or The Economist

Not at all offensive to right leaning centrists.

Who's on first?
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/neillisst/

[patricia92243]

24. Vanity Fair? n/t

[Imalittleteapot]

26. The Nation. n/t

[Mira]

27. "The Week"-sounds like the ticket ====

It bills itself as "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS"
and it sortof really follows through on that. No political bias, no holds barred on what is reported.
Has excerpts from news around the globe about the main stories and how they were covered - controversies - the World stories of the week -
people - best columns of the US and Europe - Health / Science / Cartoons / Reviews / a recipe or two.....

I love it.
Gave a subscription to my 80 yr old X-mother in law. She passes it on to friends.

[journalist3072]

29. Just a question for you.....

Do your parents have internet access?

I think a magazine subscription to some place like The Nation sounds great.

But in the meantime, if your parents have Internet access, I encourage you to provide them with links to various progressive websites (such as the Randi Rhodes website).

This would help ensure they get "real time" access to the latest information on the Bush Crime Team scandals, etc.

So do the magazine subscription thing, but if they have internet access, also give them some web links.

[blonndee]

33. Yes, they do, but my dad has never used the internet and never

will. My mom isn't really interested in news at all, or at least not enough to "go hunting" for more of it. Believe me, I have tried to send links and stuff to her, but I think she just gets overwhelmed with it all since she hasn't been following much of anything, you know? I remember the feeling--before 9/11 I didn't follow the news or current events much, and when I started trying to figure out why what happened, happened, I was overwhelmed with all that I had missed and had to catch up on.

I think a magazine lying around will be more likely to be read by either or both of them. Maybe THEN they'll get more interested and I can do the linky-dink thing.

[fishnfla]

30. wrong spot delete

oops see up thread

[VolcanoJen]

31. Hmmm... I love "The Nation," but I also love news photographs.

For the photos, I like Newsweek.

For the content (mostly editorial), I like The Nation.

:-)