Often times the internet can be overcrowded with content that doesn’t matter, only to drown out stories that actually need attention. Sometimes people commend me on how well-informed I am, and it hasn’t occurred to me until recently to point out how easy it is to stay updated with just a few changes in how you consume internet content.
Over the course of my life, I’ve been able to develop and identify methods in which I’m able to passively consume news intelligently and productively. Here are some of the ways I’m able to sound smart by keeping up with the news:
1. Download Some News Apps
A large part of how I stay surface-level informed is just scrolling through headlines on various news apps. If I think that it’s important for me to know more, I’ll click on the article and read it, but if a story is developing constantly and I’m paying attention, sometimes the headlines are all I need to know. It all depends on how you process news.
My favorite apps to follow are Apple News, The New York Times, NPR, and Buzzfeed News (don’t confuse Buzzfeed with Buzzfeed News – regular Buzzfeed does puppy videos, but Buzzfeed News actually distributes some top-notch journalism). These apps usually include a little more information under their headlines without having to click on the article, so you can gather a bit more of context.
Nuzzel is a great app to have if you follow people who talk about news on social media. The app streamlines the articles shared in your feeds and prioritizes them based on how many of the people you follow are talking about it. This way, you’re more likely to know the important stuff first and have the ability to browse the non-essential stuff after.
2. Jump on Twitter
Twitter is where I consume most of my news, and it’s actually my favorite place to learn about it because I can see people comment on it too. I follow a lot of journalists who tend to have some sort of take on current events, as well as activists and prominent social commentators. Even if the people I follow aren’t talking so much about a specific event, Twitter recognizes my interests and shows me what other people are saying about it. And if people I don’t follow start showing up in my feed regularly, I start following them
There are too many wonderfully insightful people I follow to name all of them, but a few come to mind in this moment. Are you ready?
- Some of my favorite people to follow: @ZerlinaMaxwell, @HayesBrown and @BlairImani,.
- Some politicians who are really good at Twitter: @AOC, @IlhanMN and @brianschatz.
- For a comedic take: @ira, @AkilahObviously and @petridishes.
- And if you want to make a friend, you can follow me: @breezegiveshugs
3. Turn on Notifications
I have about a dozen news apps on my phone, but I only open two or three on a regular basis. I keep all of them on my phone with notifications on so that I see the important stuff without even having to unlock my phone. If I get a single alert from CNN about tax season, it’s probably not as important as the five notifications from everyone that I’m getting about Elizabeth Warren announcing her presidential campaign. I rely on this method a lot, especially when my schedule is busier.
4. Sit Down for Some Comedy News
The first way I started engaging with news was through comedy. When I was younger, my family used to sit down on Friday nights and watch our movie of choice, followed by the best of “The Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” When we had HBO, we’d add John Oliver to the list. Comedy news keeps it interesting while still relaying the information to you.
Nowadays, comedy news has changed its look a little, but you can still find it quite easily. Stephen Colbert has moved onto “The Late Show” on CBS, where you can find a different version of his “Colbert Report” content. A short while after “The Colbert Report” ended, Trevor Noah took over Jon Stewart’s role at the desk on “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. John Oliver is still going strong into season six of “Last Week Tonight” on HBO, which you can find full-length clips of his most important stories on YouTube.
I would also now add to the list of notable comedy news, “Patriot Act” with Hasan Minhaj (former “Daily Show” correspondent) airing weekly on Netflix, and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on NBC.
5. Subscribe to Some Podcasts
As I’ve mentioned in my previous article, “Looking for Podcasts? Start Here,” podcasts are a great way to learn effortlessly, and that goes for news too.
Crooked Media, founded by former Obama staffers, offers lots of different news and commentary podcasts for all kinds of interests. I love almost everything they distribute, but you can refer to my article for a few of my favorites.
Vox’s “Today Explained”and The New York Times’s “The Daily” are shorter podcasts (20-30 minutes) that sum up important news of the day. “Fake the Nation” with Negin Farsad is also a good place to start, even though it runs closer to an hour per episode.\
I “know so much” about news because I make a point of tuning in a little bit every day in ways that interest me. Some of these methods may work for you too, or maybe they won’t. At the end of the day, you have to figure out your priorities and what works for you, but we could all benefit from being a little more informed.