IMO you’re doing it the right way.
If there’s a single indicator to pay attention to, it’s the source of funding. Where does the media outlet get its money from?
Next is professional ethics: does it employ real journalists? Journalism is like medicine, it’s a profession with a code of conduct. In this case, a commitment to factual accuracy, a good-faith search for the truth, fairness in choices about what to cover, transparency about sources, etc.
And if you feel the journalists are doing a bad job, then go back to point 1 and ask: Who is paying them? Are you? The reason for today’s crisis in journalism is not that journalists are lazy or evil, it’s that the internet cratered their business model. More of us need to step up and pay. It’s that simple.
I have a couple of paid subscriptions. If that’s the cost of living in a properly informed society, it’s a great deal.
Exactly. I’d say this is currently the best everyday example of the phenomenon.