Rethink the News
IN THE NEWS
What we're watching today
More Headlines
Most Viewed
Here's a glimpse at our top five stories, including editor commentary on each story, and a sample of our audio edition. You can test drive one edition before you’re asked to subscribe.
-
![]()
Mexico’s quake reveals better prep, grass-roots responsiveness
In Mexico, as in Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean before it, the immediate response to natural disaster has been neighbor rushing to help neighbor – an instinct rooted in both a spirit of generosity and the memory of past catastrophes.
-
For US economy, recovery – and a sobering ‘new normal‘
When is a recovery just the starting point? An action today by the Fed may be the last piece of the US economic comeback, but real growth will require new thinking.
-
In Russia’s Facebook reach, hints of darker intrusions
![]()
What role did Facebook play in Russian interference in the 2016 elections? Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team makes the social network a focus of its probe, investigating how social media was used to disseminate foreign propaganda and divisive fake news.
-
![]()
Chechnya’s hard turn to political Islam rattles Kremlin
The Kremlin is clear on the following point: When it comes to the law in Russia, what it says goes. But Chechnya's leader, who was put in place by Vladimir Putin, increasingly is refusing to stay inside the lines drawn by Moscow.
-
Can games teach empathy? A look at the shortcomings.
![]()
In an era of digitally reinforced narcissism, can video games promote empathy rather than dull it? So-called empathy games can be a beginning point for promoting understanding of marginalized groups, experts say, but they have considerable limitations.
Daily Audio Edition
An excerpt from The Christian Science Monitor Daily Audio Edition
September
20
Issue
Loading the player...
About Monitor Journalism
We think it is time to rethink the news.
News is essential. It is the fuel for a thriving democracy. It takes us to places and introduces us to people we never imagined. It defends our rights and values.
Over the Monitor’s 108-year history, we’ve built a legacy of high-quality, distinctive journalism because we recognize that news is more than facts. It’s the story of how we are each trying to make our homes, communities, and nations better. What matters are the values and ideals that drive us, not just the who, what, when, and where of the news.
When we understand that, we understand the world, and one another, better.
The Monitor gives readers that deeper insight by offering this approach to readers:
We challenge conventional thinking. As forces from politics to social media try to break us into competing tribes – political, racial, or economic – together we’ll rethink the question, “Who is my neighbor?”
We listen to you. We need you to hold us accountable – to keep us honest and grounded. To inspire us with what inspires you. Together, we can build a community of people who ask more from news.
We will change how you see news. News must be accurate and trustworthy, but facts alone can miss the whole story – the story of us. We are much better than much of today’s news portrays us to be. We will have the courage to look into both the best and the worst in us – and not to blame, but to demand better.
Journalism can be a force for good – for inspiration and progress. But only if we all make it so.
Special Projects
-
Reading, writing and empathy: How Denmark is a leader in teaching social skills
The country's status as a leader in teaching social skills is one reason it’s often ranked as the world’s ‘happiest’ country. Do Danes know something the rest of us don’t?
-
Ringing success: How Cassini brought Saturn's swirling mysteries into focus
Cassini embarked on an auspicious quest to increase our knowledge of enigmatic Saturn. Today, 13 years later, the craft is about to end its mission as one of the most successful planetary probes in the history of space exploration.
-
How Kim rules: What the North Korean leader's unexpected directions for his country mean for the US
After his nearly six years in power, it’s clear there are some significant differences between Kim Jong-un and his forebears, and that he is exhibiting a ruling style that has evolved in unexpected ways.
-
Following damage caused by economic rise, China tackles ambitious conservation experiment
The government intends to combine three separate regions of Sanjiangyuan to create China’s first national park, setting aside an area the size of Pennsylvania. China is also working to set up a series of other trial national parks around the country.
-
Can you please talk, not text? Parenting the Instagram generation
Can kids be encouraged to let go of the virtual world – occasionally – and engage in the real one? Can they stop posting selfies long enough to think of someone else? The answer is yes. But there are bound to be some anxious moments for parents along the way.
-
Can famine be checked as Africa faces its worst crisis since the 1980s?
Here's what Africa has learned about building ‘community resilience’ as millions in Africa’s arid zones gird themselves to cope better with drought and the threat of famine.
2 ways to enjoy the Monitor's award-winning journalism!
Daily Digital
Enjoy a thoughtful evening read.
Weekly Print & Digital Magazine
Enjoy a longer, more in-depth read.