Illustration by Joseph Ratliff/AllSides

This is a beta test of a potential new AllSides news product. Email us with “Briefings” in the subject line to let us know what you think.

Hello! I’m AllSides Managing Editor Henry A. Brechter. It’s Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Here’s your AllSides balanced briefing for today.

 

TODAY'S WEATHER

See today’s weather radar and temperature maps for your area from the NOAA.

 

TOP STORIES FOR FEB. 21

See news from left, center, and right-rated sources with our balanced Headline Roundups on these stories:

  • President Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday and reaffirmed U.S. support for the country's defense against Russia's invasion. Hours later, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a state of the nation address, blaming the U.S. and Western nations for the war.

  • Famed children's author Roald Dahl's books are the focus of "inclusivity-focused" revisions. For example, "fat" was changed to "enormous" in one text, and "small men" was changed to "small people." The moves earned criticism from across the spectrum.

  • Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, 98, has decided to enter hospice care and spend his remaining time with family. Carter, who held the White House from 1977 to 1981, is the longest-lived U.S. president.

 

DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES

What defines a mass shooting?

In 2013, the FBI set its definition of mass shooting as one in which four or more people are killed. Other groups, like the Gun Violence Archive, define a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded. While some media outlets adhere to the FBI definition, many others use the GVA definition - leading to a divide in how the numbers are tracked, framed, and reported to the public.

See perspectives from left, right, and center with our balanced Headline Roundup.

 

MISINFORMATION WATCH

The Global Disinformation Index (rated as Left bias by AllSides) recently published its 2022 “Disinformation Risk Assessment” on U.S. news media sources.

The study is well-intentioned, but flawed. It lacks transparency about the reviews and the biases of individual reviewers, and combines evaluations of bias and information quality in a confusing fashion.

Read more on our Perspectives Blog.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

Gallup's (Center bias) annual “Mood of the Nation” survey uncovered some interesting examples of common ground.

Two issues where partisan satisfaction largely aligned were on “quality of medical care in the nation” (R=52%, D=52%), and on “the acceptance of gays and lesbians in the nation” (R=52%, D=51%).

Democrats and Republicans were also largely dissatisfied with “the size and influence of major corporations” (R=29%, D=26%) and the “availability of affordable healthcare” (R=35%, D=39%).

See more of the data on our Perspectives Blog.

 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK

 

GOOD NEWS

A South Carolina family raised over $262,000 for a 72-year-old Domino's employee who fell while delivering pizzas. The employee reportedly plans to retire and travel to Europe.

 

Have comments on this briefing? Email us!

Henry A. Brechter is the Managing Editor of AllSides. He has a Center bias.