This depends on the system, the kind of information they need, etc...
In the most democratic countries, government sites might prove most reliable. In other, independent journalists might be better. In a way, it's almost impossible to be sure your information isn't biased.... the best is if you know who wrote it and what their agenda is: if they news is left-wing and what they report is not very left-wing, then it's perhaps reliable.
After the civil war the single political entity was confirmed which led to more than four million enslaved Americans being freed. A more established federal government was also a consequence of the civil war.
