Whither World News Media?
The year 2012 was, in some ways, a bad one for world news. With much of the English-speaking world consumed by the U.S. presidential election, serious foreign policy discussion -- much to the chagrin of more than a few wonks, reporters and analysts -- was often muted or, at best, glossed over and reduced to talking points. This made RealClearWorld's work all the more challenging this year, as we did our best every day to see past the bullet points and provide our readers with the best world news commentary. But not all was lost, as new media and world news outlets continued to evolve and enhance the ways in which news junkies get their fix. Some of the best and most insightful debates on international relations -- no longer just the purview of editorial boards and Washington think-tank panels -- are happening right now on social media platforms like Twitter. (See Foreign Policy's Twitterati 100 of 2012.) Technical advances aside, this year still posed a challenge for online publications. RCW has recognized five news organizations that not only engaged their readers more aggressively through social media and other online tools, but also provided them with the best and most critical analyses on world affairs. And with that, we present you with our Top Five World News Sites of 2012. NEXT: THE TOP WORLD NEWS SITES OF 2012
