The News of Silent Spring

Silent Spring has listed here our recommended news sources. These are aimed to give you a coverage of events that are often de-emphasised by algorithms and AI search engines, and point you towards research and institutions that can provide a wider scope of developments that are happening across a range of topics. There is also a section which provides Silent Spring's recommendation for manual web searching to encourage curiosity, stress testing, and exploration best practices for making the most of the internet as a space to enrich our understanding of the world. Another caveat is that we only list news organisations that reject major donors or other financial models/interests that could compromise the impartiality of reporting.

Conventional News Sources

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! was established in February 1996 in New York City as an independent news institution that is 'audience-supported', meaning that it doesn't take any money from corporate donors or individuals that have a conflict of interest with transparent and objective journalism. As one of the few major news institutions in the world with editorial independence, Silent Spring strongly supports and encourages the structure and practice of Democracy Now!

The Canary

A newer organisation based in London. The Canary has a clear mission statement that aligns itself with the progressive wing of politics and culture, emphasising stories and perspectives that cover inequality, prejudice, civil liberties and political authoritarianism, and foreign policy that advocates for international cooperation and fair economic/cultural exchange. The Canary is a part of the Independent Media Association, is a regulated member of Impress, rejects corporate donors, operates on a cooperative model funded by reader subscriptions and small donations, and emphasises robust editorial standards.

Queer AF

This is the UK's only non-profit and regulated LGBTQIA+ publisher. As an advocate of independent news sources, Silent Spring recommends this source as a space to find intersectional news relevant to queer communities. The website also has an emphasis on LGBT+ entrepreneurship and provides many resources for people within that community for pitching themselves and advancing economic empowerment. The organisation is also funded by members, again providing editorial independence from corrupting forces, and has won several awards for journalistic quality and integrity.

Government News Sources

Government sources should be used with caution. There can often be clear conflicts of interest with research, however there are also strict transparency and accountability policies that Public bodies must adhere to. Additionally, Government research is often well resourced, with powers to investigate and disclose information that indepenent and commercial news organisations may struggle with. This is why Silent Spring considers publicly issued research papers to be a beneficial addition to one's research literature, as well as pointing towards the relevant public bodies and regulators that may be of interest for people looking to get in touch and communicate research findings.

House of Commons Library

While the UK Government has many concerning biases, the briefing packs which are provided for debates often includes well resourced, researched, and impartial evidence that is used for informing MPs across a range of topics. With this source, Silent Spring recommends using this as a source to identify other research bodies that help to inform select committees investigating topics such as environmental justice, economic inequality, discrimination and policing, and regulation of large businesses and emerging technologies. Sources found here are often impartial and should be considered in a 'raw sense', as information is presented prior to media/political cherry picking and interpretation.

Europarl

Similar to the UK Commons Library, Europarl is a powerful, well funded, and comprehensive source for research. The EU is world famous for being a leader in terms of regulating new technologies such as AI, identifying social risks, environmental regulation and more. While there are no doubt shortcomings, the research itself has been cited and relied upon by advocacy groups and businesses to make informed decisions and to ensure progressive standards .