I have been guilty of recommending this site to people. Sometimes I wonder if it was a wise move.
I still do, with the caveat that signal to noise can be really bad at times. BUt the rule "you can't believe everything you read or hear" applies here too - the benefit of "here" is that both sides are usually argued, which is a stark contrast to most of the media.
That said, the character of FR has changed much, and several times. It's less of a news gathering and serious forum now, and more of an echo chamber with sharply defined factions breaking primarily on party-line.