Jim you are talking complete bollocks as usual. It is not the guardian's data I dislike it is their socialist interpretation. I use sources that interpret the data in a way I largely agree with. A lot of the time this is "alternative sources" because because the MSM tend to either totally sidestep issues, or follow the government line.
Now obviously when the going gets political some of the data starts to become iffy, apart from economic data (too many sticky hands enforce consistancy)Whether it be fact or fiction is another argument.
Wartime casualty figures
Who bombed whom
Who poisoned whom
Received explanations for the above cases will never satisfy everyone, in fact they polarize opinion. There is a major problem trying to isolate fact from fiction. Propaganda, government funding of certain bodies, the "great game", economic warfare all contribute to the fog of war. Who you believe depends on where you are coming from. If a government narrative is being pushed you need to study the politics behind the agenda, if you can.
They say history is written by the winners. They omit to add that the actions forming the history are also determined by the wannabe winners, and the true story is often very murky. Taking everything at face value on offerings such as by the white helmets, likely leads to erroneous interpretation. You need to search behind the facade and enquire as to the contents of the accompanying Pandora's Box.
Today no news source is trustworthy and I find many blogs and internet sites make a far better job of both presenting and interpreting data, as opposed to the constant dissembling by the MSM. Such is the world we live in. It is why I find Guardian articles so hard to stomach. Their politics frequently over rides common sense. They are as false as the BBC trying to claim impartiality. It is a shame that sites like global research offer a far more informed analysis of many events than the MSM. This is probably why they take such a constant knocking.
Disparage such sites as much as you like but you will search long and hard to find better informed analysis of global events. You may not like the conclusions, you may take a totally opposite view, but generally the presentation is second to none.