In the digital age of streaming, most people are watching shows and movies from the comfort of their own laptops. There no longer is the need for skipping through channels during commercials or landing on the news while waiting for a show to come back on. So it is harder to keep up with what is going on in the world. But it is still really important to be paying attention to current events and listening in on major issues happening in the world. As college students, we have the ability to vote and should definitely be exercising our right to with an important presidential election on our horizon. So everyone should be making their efforts to stay politically informed. But ya, I get it. Reading lengthy news articles or setting aside your sleep time to watch the 11 o’clock news is probably the last thing you want to do. Luckily, with the multitude of media platforms we have today, there are a lot of easy (and not so boring) profiles you can be following that will allow you to learn about what is going on in politics without getting bored of it.
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JerryNews @FuckJerry is a popular Instagram account that posts funny internet content that most people are probably familiar with. It branches off of Jerry Media, which has other accounts, including the lesser-known @JerryNews. This account is owned by the same company but posts daily news on both its stories and posts. Following it makes your feed a bit more informative compared to photos of Stormie Jenner. What I like most about these posts is that they are easy to read with a descriptive title, relative picture, and brief caption. They are always easy to understand, and you can soak up the information while staying on your favorite app. You quickly get to see political news without having to scroll through a long article. I started following the account in high school to prepare me for current events quizzes in my government class, and I continue to follow because of how easy it became to be in the know of what is going on in the world!
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“Today, Explained” Podcast With dreadfully long walks to class, headphones can make them a bit more bearable. After a few weeks of listening to music, I started to get bored of doing it all day, so I wanted to switch it up with a podcast from time to time. It took me a while to find a political one that didn’t make me want to fall asleep, but when I came across “Today, Explained” I fell in love. The host, Sean Rameswaram, is very entertaining and feeds the listener information on major events and stories happening in the world. A new one is posted every day and it is always a quick listen at under 25 minutes. Rameswaram’s humor always pulls me in by making me feel like I am a part of the conversation. Listening to it is perfect for your longest walk to class because you get to sneakily get updated on what you need to know to talk about politics.
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theSkimm I often find myself mindlessly scrolling through emails while waiting for my classes to begin. Subscribing to theSkimm’s newsletter can bring your inbox to life and allow you to read through the day’s news stories. Every morning, theSkimm sends me all the top stories in a way that is simple and clear to understand! They throw in little jokes, always introduce the digest with a quote, and organize it in a way that allows the readers to scroll through different topics, and click on links to find out more information on stories that especially interest them. I love starting my morning by reading the newsletter because it is fun to read, and I always get to start my day with the knowledge of what is going on in the world.
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Countable app What I love about having this app on my phone is how I get to personalize my news feed. The app almost works like Instagram, where you get to scroll through different posts, look at profiles, and read comments. It is customized to you because once you choose your zip code, the app will show you your representatives and send you local news. You can also follow the topics and issues that interest you. Your feed is based on what you actually like, and your learning is completely dictated on you and what you want to read about. Your participation is also up to you. The app has a broad audience, as it attracts all types of political people from those who know nothing and those who are virtually obsessed. You can use this app to simply learn and read about politics, but it can also be used as a platform to vote or contact representatives. This app is basically the political Instagram, and it is so much fun!
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Politiscope app This app is similar to Countable, but it boils down politics even more to attract those who do not know much. This app was specifically created to allow people who knew nothing about politics to stay politically informed. It is also an app that you scroll through, and it’s color coated feed allows users to learn about exactly what interests them. Each post has a brief “breakdown” which is the whole story broken up into a clear and easy read. It also shows quotes about the story from left-winged people, right-winged people, and those in the middle. With no bias, this app not only allows non-political people to learn about it, but it can also help them develop their own position by being able to see all the different views. This app is great, and an awesome starting point for anyone who wants to become politically informed.
Becoming politically informed can be really tricky. With busy schedules, it can be hard for people who are not political junkies to want to take time out of their day to learn about the news because so many of the platforms can be so boring. Luckily, the five media outlets I listed above make it really easy to learn what you need to know. The makers behind them are doing all the heavy lifting by listening to the long news segments and reading the tedious articles. They weed out the boring parts and break down the stories into short and coherent reads or listens. Each platform is entertaining and understanding, making it really easy and fun to get in the know all with the ease of staying on your phone! Now you know, so go get informed!
P.S. VOTE November 3rd :)