Rethink the News
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.
-
![]()
Defiant Kurds stage symbolic vote on independence
The Kurds have been a century-long Mideast asterisk – a people without a country. Today's independence referendum is a symbolic step to address that. It's nonbinding and just in Iraq. But it's a reminder that the hope of self-government survives time and tyrants.
-
An Alabama race tests GOP establishment
![]()
Surely, President Trump is backing the brash, flame-throwing outsider in Tuesday's Alabama Republican Senate primary, right? No. Which, in a way, pits Mr. Trump against the spirit of his own political revolution.
-
German election’s jolt may deliver a positive: deeper debate
In recent years, Germany's two major parties have run the country with extraordinary civility and common purpose. But growing unease cracked that "grand coalition" in Sunday's election. The question now: How much populism is the right amount?
-
As waters recede, Bangladesh turns toward adaptation
![]()
Bangladesh has long been synonymous with suffering and disaster. Flooding invariably meant thousands dead. But this year's death toll amid the worst floods in 40 years? 145 people. Economic development, it turns out, has dramatically changed the calculus of human life.
-
![]()
When gardens give petri-dish views of climate change
Can a planting of onions in a university greenhouse take the anger and tears out of our climate change debates? Behold the power of botanical gardens!
Daily Audio Edition
An excerpt from The Christian Science Monitor Daily Audio Edition
September
25
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
-
Reluctant champion: How Nadia Murad has become the international face of Yazidi suffering – and resilience
The same courage and determination that helped Murad escape from the Islamic State have driven her to travel to more than two dozen countries to tell her story, forcing the world to hear about the atrocities and demanding that ISIS be held accountable for its crimes against Yazidis.
-
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.
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.