Edited by Olivia Spahn-Vieira
As a fourth-year student, life can get pretty busy, making it extremely difficult to keep up with the news, happening all around me. With the rate at which news is produced, I always feel like I’m behind. However, I have found some awesome resources to keep me informed during the school year! Here are some tips and personal recommendations of resources that I use to keep in touch (with links provided of course):
Democracy Now
Democracy Now is a non-profit news source that discusses important topics in society such as international issues, climate change, Black Lives Matter, and of course, the US 2020 Election. Amy Goodman appears every weekday at 8 am to give me the latest news. It is also the perfect opportunity to do my morning workout and stretching during this time!
Podcasts
To manage my commute time effectively, I listen to podcasts that provide me with the latest news. In a pre-COVID world, my school commute would be just enough time to listen to an episode of a podcast. This is also useful to have in the background when I have to do real adult chores like cleaning my room, grocery shopping, and even a workout! These are some of my favourite podcasts that keep me informative (and they are Toronto-based!!)
The Big Story, Black Tea, Damsel in the 6ix, Frontburner & Wait, There’s More.
Next, one of my most used social media platforms that I use is Instagram! My study breaks literally consist of going for a walk, getting a coffee, and checking my insta. Recently, I have noticed that I have been informed on urgent, important events and issues around the world through my following accounts reposting about these events and issues. This is so beneficial because I don’t have to search through news sources to find out more.
One of my closest friends, Daphne Sucic, UToronto ’21, recommended the account @goodnewsmovement. It is such a positive Instagram account that posts inspiring and happy news that I think we all need to hear sometimes.
Other great accounts to give a follow are @shityoushouldcareabout, @feminist, @nytimes, @newyorkermag, and @thedailyshow!
Another social media platform that I have recently gotten into is Twitter! I find this to be so time-effective because you can switch on notifications to get the latest news right to your lock screen! When I am trying to get 50 things done in a day, it’s nice to know what the rest of the world is up to. Some Twitter accounts that I want to recommend to you are @TedTalks, @cnnbrk, @mentalfloss, @techreview & @slate!
Newsletters
Have you noticed that checking your email is part of your morning routine, too? I wake up and check my email before I even brush my teeth… is this what adulting looks like? Despite the outdated method of communication, it actually so useful for getting updated news via newsletters. Newsletters provide the current news, events going on, and ways to get involved. Newsletters that are definitely in my email are The Morning Brew, Creative Morning Weekly Highlights, The Lunch Read, The Next Draft, and Watching.
As much as we liked to be updated about the world around us, time isn’t always on our side. I hope this article has provided you with some new sources, to keep you informed and updated.