In January, I wrote a piece about alternative news sources because I was so tired of traditional news media and thought that others should know about alternate ways of staying informed. Well, after that article was published, I had a lot of people reaching out to me about some of their favorite news accounts. Enough so that I figured that I had to make a second article including theirs, which have also become new favorites of mine! The news can be a mess right now, so there’s no reason to not at least make it less draining on yourself.
@nikitadumptruck
@nikitadumptruck, or Nikita Redkar, is a New York City influencer that educates and talks about the current political climate in a way that feels approachable. Nikita’s formula is simple — she talks about a political issue while doing mundane things such as going on a walk or doing her makeup. These videos are split between either the current political climate or her educating her views on the history of a topic, such as the radium girls of the 1920s. Watching one of Nikita’s videos feels like you’re on FaceTime with a bestie, and never feels preachy — just a girl trying to keep people informed.
@impact
This was a recommendation, and I’ve been in love with it. @impact reports on both pop culture and political news, and they post a *lot.* @impact doesn’t shy away from addressing the political state of the world, making Instagram carousels that are packed with charts, statistics, outside sourcing, and visuals. They also focus on how things in the world affect Gen-Z, their target audience, making their content approachable and targeted towards a demographic that traditional media sources tend to overlook.
@environment
A shoot-off of @impact is @environment, whose sole function is to educate its viewers on the environmental issues and climate crises that are happening that people aren’t talking about. While traditional news touches on environmental issues, they’re more of a footnote than the main conversation, so @environmental has made that their mission. Global issues and political issues are incredibly intertwined with one another, so staying informed on what’s hurting the Earth is just as important as the latest political news.
@so.informed
@so.informed is a sharp style departure from the rest of these sources, but that doesn’t make it any less informative. @so.informed strips down the headlines to its bare bones, forgoing bright colors and visuals to make the story stand on its own. When left on its own in these graphics, you can truly see just how jarring the headlines in our current political climate are. It’s sobering, but it delivers all the facts with no distractions — a combination that leaves the topic stuck in your head. If that isn’t enough, they also have a Substack where they go into the headlines that you may have missed during the week.
@shityoushouldcareabout
Styled with adorable Y2K digi-themed graphics, informative news videos, and fun pop culture posts is @shityoushouldcareabout. This account, run by a woman from New Zealand, not only addresses the headlines but also pokes fun at them. The account balances smart humor with the grave headlines, keeping its followers informed without being too depressed over the news. They also have a podcast with the same name, which goes over what they think are the most important news highlights of the week, both politically and culturally. They also have a Substack, where you can read their thoughts in essay form if reading them by the way of Instagram post doesn’t float your boat.
@betches_news
One of my favorite media companies right now is Betches. Betches Media, in my opinion, feels very much like the Gen-Z version of Cosmo. It’s fun with eye-catching posts and headlines, and covers lifestyle, news, entertainment, and relationships. All in all, it’s great. Each section of the Betches Media world comes with its own dedicated Instagram, Substack, and category on their website — and Betches News is no different. The Instagram shows off quick clips or thoughts on headlines while the Substack delves deeper into the news, sometimes focusing on one headline or highlighting the best (or worst) of the week. They also publish Morning Announcements, which is a short daily podcast giving the news highlights that you should know. All in all, highly recommend.