I've yet to be convinced that the media "toes the govt line." I used to work with some reporters and they prided themselves on a fierce, almost antagonistic independence from any potential source of pressure.

But, having said that, big news--and CNN's gotta be one of the biggest--is big business, after all, and has interests to promote and protect.

You're quite right, I think, in pointing out the value of news sources outside the mainstream. They all have axes to grind, but at least you get to see a bunch of different axes :-)

One of the many reasons I love coming to the Zone is that you guys routinely point me to articles and sites I'd otherwise miss.