I'm curious what significance do YOU place on the output of "independent" (?) think tanks and Columnists?

Especially when you consider the backgrounds and qualifications of the authors they often don't relate to the topics they discuss.
Are they just interesting?
Out of touch?
Very informative?
Do you detect bias
Or merely mouthpieces for parties or are they personal axe grinding.

A responder to an article on online mag defined the "Australian" as Turnbull's policy department and the party provided the sound effects.

Others have described Think Tanks as 'stink tanks' as they seem to start with a policy and then depending on their leaning justify or criticise. NB the analysis is less than objective. Are these legitimate criticisms? If so where do you go for real informative/ reliable information?

They're called 'opinion pieces' for a reason. Just look at Andrew Bolt.

A columnist is no different to what you do here. It's their perception of an event and their opinion is based on their influences, education, and experiences.

What significance do I place on them?. About 2 out of 10. Pay me, and I'll form an opinion on anything you like. 500 words enough?.

In answer to your questions Xammy; yes and no to all of them.

In other words, opinion pieces or whatever you want to call them are all over the place. They cover the full spectrum of your questions.

What significance do I place on them?

Again it is all over the place. The message put out by an organisation or individual that I respect is valued. But I'm also interested in reading pieces that I disagree with. I then ponder over whether the message is a truly held opinion, a politically biased presentation or a blurb designed to rile people and incur strong reactions.

Whichever it might be, it is still of value in helping to express different opinions and promulgate debate.

The outcomes of independent 'think tanks' are more often than not as as predictable as the jokers who nominated Mr Obama for the Nobel (peace) prize. The Governments always get the answers they want and would do well on saving money in order to back their political decisions. Just look at the 'science' used to validate the gw dogma and you get the drift. The only place to escape propaganda is the bible. The bible describes accurately human nature and the answers to our degradation. Despite centuries of opposition the words of Jesus are without equal and speak straight to the core issues in life. It is a pity that people don't have their minds and hearts washed by the Only person qualified to do so. Instead they are brainwashed by other puny humans who deny their Maker.

Runner you do carry on don't you?
Yes examinator we are being entertained and pushed in directions.
By all sides.
Even Christian fanatics [hence runners contribution].
Put the thinking cap on, spend one wasted day.
Watch fox news.
Tell me if you ever outside of Hollywood saw such constructed biased and often just plain untrue information.
Yep my mob do it too.
But we must except it happens.

I am totally disillusioned with the quality of media reporting in Australia and the rest of the world. I find the SBS news to be the most informative and least biased, the best of a bad bunch so to speak.

Take for instance the Kimberley oil spill, possible the worst ecological disaster in our history but hardly a peep out of the media.
I watched the Insiders last Sunday and 40% of the show was on the soap opera relating to Malcome Turnbull. Who cares who leads the party, I vote for the party and their policies, not the leader.

During the Vietnam war, we were sent of to fight and die under the premise of the "Domino Theory", that communism was taking over the world, spreading down thru' SE Asia. After we lost the war, did this occur, no, because the Vietnam war was a civil war, just like Korea.
Did the media ever examine why we went to Vietnam, to find out if any blame could be assigned to someone for this facicaial loss of human life, no. What a waste. Just about every war since the 2nd world war have been bogus with no good investigative journalism occuring at any stage, just yanky paranoia and propaganda like the 2nd gulf war. Why does the US think socialism and communism are the same thing?

Investigative journalism does not exist today, just controlled "we want you to believe this BS" and non reporting, just don't say anything about something and no one will know anything and it will just go away. Thank God for the internet and forums like this.