nottheonion or news? Comparing Reddit's Top News Communities

Why compare r/nottheonion and r/news?

If you follow current events on Reddit, you probably know there are many ways to get a headline fix. Two of the most distinct options are r/nottheonion and r/news. One feels like a collection of bizarre-but-true stories, the other is a more traditional news feed. This article compares the two so you can pick the best fit for staying informed or entertained.

Quick snapshot

r/news: The mainstream, front-page style subreddit for breaking national and international news. Expect conventional headlines, frequent moderation, and a focus on sources.

r/nottheonion: Curated for the weird, surprising, or ironic real-world stories that sound like they belong on The Onion. Posts spark amusement, disbelief, and discussion about human oddities.

Both attract huge audiences, but they serve different user goals. Below I break down tone, content, reliability, moderation, and who should subscribe.

Tone and community culture

r/news

Tone is formal to urgent. Discussions are often political and fact-focused.

Users tend to expect source citations and verifiability.

The comment sections can be heated, especially on politically charged stories, which makes r/news feel like an aggregator for mainstream outlets.

r/nottheonion

Tone is lighter, often humorous or incredulous.

Community enjoys the absurdity; comments lean toward jokes, memes, and astonishment rather than deep debate.

Not ideal if you're looking for sober analysis, but great when you want entertaining real-world oddities.

Content types and variety

r/news prioritizes:

Breaking stories from major outlets

Politics, global affairs, crime, public policy

Updates on ongoing situations, investigative reports

r/nottheonion highlights:

Bizarre but true incidents

Human-interest oddities and ironic news

Stories that read like satire but are real

If you want comprehensive coverage and context, r/news is closer to a newswire. If you prefer curated, surprising headlines, r/nottheonion delivers a different pleasure.

Reliability and moderation

r/news has strict rules around sourcing and fact-checking. Moderators remove low-quality links and enforce title accuracy. The result is higher baseline reliability but also recurring moderation drama.

r/nottheonion enforces truthfulness for posts — stories must be real — but the bar is about whether a story is genuinely absurd and sourced, not whether it provides in-depth reporting. Moderation focuses on the spirit of the subreddit.

Neither subreddit is a replacement for original reporting; both are gateways to stories you should verify with trusted outlets when accuracy matters.

Engagement and discussion depth

r/news demands more engagement from users seeking nuance. Long comment threads often debate policy, context, and implications. Expect deeper threads but also partisan echo chambers.

r/nottheonion encourages quick reactions. Comments often riff on absurd details and share similar tales. Depth is lower, but enjoyment and shareability are higher.

Pros and cons

r/news

Pros: Broad coverage, up-to-date, moderated for source quality

Cons: Heavily political, can be overwhelming, comments can be hostile or repetitive

r/nottheonion

Pros: Entertaining, great for discovery, highly shareable

Cons: Not a place for serious analysis, selection bias toward the bizarre

Who should subscribe?

Subscribe to r/news if you:

Want a steady stream of mainstream headlines

Need a reliable Reddit hub for breaking news

Like deeper comment threads and debate

Subscribe to r/nottheonion if you:

Enjoy weird real-life stories and ironic headlines

Want lighter, shareable content that sparks amusement

Prefer entertainment over analysis

Alternatives and complements

If you use Reddit for news, consider adding these subreddits to round out your feed:

r/politics — For U.S.-centric political news and discussion with a strong community focus on policy and campaigns.

r/TrueReddit — Long-form articles, deep dives, and thoughtful discussion; good if you want analysis over headlines.

r/UpliftingNews — Positive, constructive stories when r/news feels too grim.

r/nottheonion — For the bizarre that’s still real (already covered here, worth reiterating).

Each fills a different niche: r/politics for politics, r/TrueReddit for reflective pieces, and r/UpliftingNews to balance negativity.

How to follow responsibly

Cross-check breaking claims using reputable outlets cited in posts.

Use Reddit’s sorting options (New, Top, Controversial) to tailor consumption.

Mute or block repeat bad-faith posters and follow moderators’ guidance to keep discussions useful.

Final verdict

Both subreddits are worth following, but for different reasons. If your goal is to stay informed about mainstream developments with a fairly rigorous moderation standard, r/news is the better daily hub. If you want delightful oddities and stories that make you say "this can’t be real" — and then discover they are — r/nottheonion is a must-follow.

For a balanced Reddit news diet, subscribe to r/news for breadth, r/nottheonion for entertainment, and sprinkle in r/politics, r/TrueReddit, and r/UpliftingNews depending on whether you want analysis or optimism. That combo covers breaking facts, deep thinking, and the best of Reddit’s headline oddities.