LibGuides: Controversial Topics: Websites

About Websites

Remember that anyone can post anything at all on the Web, from outright lies to informed opinion to accurate, thoroughly researched information. Therefore you must always evaluate a website before you rely on it for your research or personal use.

The sites listed here have been collected and reviewed for quality by an STLCC faculty librarian. For help with evaluating websites and other information sources which you find on your own, visit ...

Evaluate Your Sources
STLCC Libraries

Different sides of the issues

AllSides
This website collects news stories and rates them for political bias: Left, Right, Center, or in between.
Ground News
Ground news is a news-aggregation platform that facilitates readers' abilities to compare news sources by enabling users to access a variety of news sources in one place for bias and factual accuracy, among other metrics.
Ad Fontes Media
Blog about media bias, including the well-known Media Bias Chart, which categorizes major news outlets by their political leanings.
Open to Debate
Through weekly debates distributed on public radio, in podcasts and digital videos, Open to Debate systematically brings opposing viewpoints together for a respectful and open-minded exchange of ideas. Formerly known as Intelligence Squared.
ProCon.org - Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues
ProCon.org is a non-profit education web site that pulls together excerpts of arguments on both sides of controversial issues.Overviews of issues, key questions, and links or references to the sources are included. Sources are rated for credibility.
Citizen Source
The "Issues" section provides links to organizations that take a stand on different sides of the issue. Think tanks are also listed by political leanings.

Websites

Balanced information on public policy issues and other hotly debated topics.

Annenberg Public Policy Center
"APPC conducts ongoing research in the areas of political discourse, children and media, the Internet, and health communications." Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania.
Bioethics.net
From the American Journal of Bioethics, this website includes news stories and articles that explore ethical issues in medicine and health. Search, or scroll down to "Hot Topics."
Brookings
"The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level."
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
A nonpartisan research and policy institute: "We pursue federal and state policies designed both to reduce poverty and inequality and to restore fiscal responsibility in equitable and effective ways."
The Conversation
Articles about current issues, written by academics.
Gallup.Com - Daily News, Polls, Public Opinion on Government, Politics, Economics, Management
This web site includes the results of opinion polls conducted in the United States. Much of the information is free, but there is also a premium subscription area.
FRONTLINE: home | PBS
Frontline is a PBS television series that explores issues in public affairs. Each program has a companion web site including a transcript, in-depth reports, and viewer comments.
IssueLab
"Connecting, collecting, and sharing knowledge about critical social issues." Search, browse issues, or browse the curated "Special Collections" of reports on issues such as Race and Policing, or Gun Violence.
Overseas Development Institute
International think tank from the U.K. on humanitarian and international development issues. Includes policy and other issues of many countries including the U.S.
Pew Research Center
"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. We do not take policy positions."
ProPublica
ProPublica conducts "investigative journalism in the public interest." It doesn't give pro/con sides of issues, but it seeks to expose abuses of power and find the facts behind the issues. Browse for topic ideas under the "Investigations" tab, or check the "Tools & Data" tab for graphics, statistics, and interactive tools.
Public Agenda: Helping Americans Explore Today's Issues | Public Agenda
Current, unbiased information on important topics. The site includes in-depth Research Studies, reports which are available in pdf for free download.
World Public Opinion
Congressional Research Service Reports
These are public copies of reports provided to congress on current issues. They provide non-partisan topic overviews that are excellent starting points for research.

Recommend a site

Recommend a good website for this page!

It should be:

Broad-based (not focused on just one issue)
Balanced (representing more than one side of the issues)
Written for a college-level or general audience

Send suggested links to Janice Hovis: jhovis @ stlcc.edu

Controversial Topics

About Websites

Different sides of the issues

Websites

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Recommend a site