Assuming for a second that I care enough about a particular matter to research it, my tendency is to thoroughly read no fewer than ten articles about it, all from different sources. I usually go FOX, CNN and then about eight smaller independent sources, such as newspaper websites...I stay away from MSNBC because it's just an over-dramatic, and otherwise repetitive, version of whatever CNN is saying.

After that, I'll often look up the underlying law, bill or court documents related to the subject matter.

For me, that's why I can't really speak to a wide variety of matters. I don't have enough time to properly gather information on everything. I would say some 80% of folks on both sides just parrot whatever their preferred news source says, so it completely fails to be a substantive political conversation that touches on specifics and just becomes strictly partisan bickering.