♦Democrat and Chronicle: As the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area, the Democrat and Chronicle is by default the most influential publication in shaping opinion. However, its swift swing from a conservative to liberal perspective in the 1970s has left the D&C open to considerable second-guessing with a frequent criticism being that it is inconsistent to so passionately advocate for the well-being of the city while also tirelessly defending the Democrats who have held power almost exclusively and unanimously for decades. Too, frequent turnover of editorial staff in recent years has raised questions as to how authoritative its voice remains. [Read it]

   ♦Messenger Post Newspapers: Primarily a chain of weekies in the Rochester suburbs but anchored by The Daily Messenger in Canandaigua, MPN is more likely than most other sources to have a finger on the pulse of what is transpiring in Monroe County with respect to smaller and mid-sized community issues. Its political orientation is somewhere between center and right-to-center. [Read it]

   ♦Bob Lonsberry: There's little chance of not knowing exactly where Bob Lonsberry stands on an issue whether listening to his radio talk show on WHAM-AM or reading his blog. Shooting from the right on the political spectrum, the former newspaper reporter and columnist is both blunt and confident in his take on local and national issues. He's been a frequent target of local organizations threatening boycotts of advertisers. [Read it]

   ♦MonroeRising.com: Referring to its content as "Political information — without the liberal bias," the operators of this site say they strive to provide a dependable, independent alternative to liberal bloggers. [Read it]

   ♦RochesterTurning.com: Billing itself as a site for "Progressive Movement + Media," Rochester Turning is built on a WordPress platform and populated by content that is general written from a liberal point of view. It does not appear that much if any of the content goes through editing or vetting, so there's a need to take RochesterTurning.com with the proverbial grain of salt. [Read it]

   ♦SmugtownBeacon.com: Founded in October 2007 by Aaron Wicks and former Monroe County legislator Chris Wilmot, the site owes its inspiration to what it characterizes as "insipid, fawning and uninspired media" in the Rochester area. The site owes its name to Curt Gerling's scathing 1950s analysis of Rochester, "Smugtown, U.S.A." Content can be sparse at times, but some of the commentary rates as brighter and bolder than what the mainstream is willing to offer. [Read it]

   ♦RochesterWatch.com: A bulletin board-based forum, RochesterWatch.com is a tad light on gravitas but has built a loyal following since launching in late 2003. It's user rants are no better or worse than what you expect to see tacked on in the comments field at the bottom of stories on most newspaper web sites. Be leery, though, of any site with U.S. flags in its logo design — your view of American may very well be different than theirs. [Read it]

   ♦City Newspaper: Not unlike the Democrat and Chronicle, the publishers of City reside to the left of center on the political spectrum, though they have a rather amusing history of bashing the daily paper on any number of topics. City, published weekly, is aggressive in its criticism of the Republican Party on the local, state and national levels. [Read it]