Time is of the essence in our rapidly-changing world. Drop headlines to an inbox near you — it’s free! Regardless of the issue — be it global events, politics, tech news, showbiz or health & fitness — knowing your stuff puts you in a better position when it comes to discussion, decision-making and simply understanding your world.
However, there is so much information on the internet that it can be an intimidating task to sort through everything in order to source the most reliable and applicable parts. This is why we have written this ultimate resource to help you stay updated with the latest news in an efficient manner. The Best Practices
1. Get news alerts on the AlmaLinux Forums Subscribe to Trusted News Sources
In this era of misinformation and “fake news,” it’s more important than ever to rely on trusted news sources. Subscribe to media organisations that provide solid, fact-checked news. A few of the best resources are:
- The New York Times
- BBC
- Reuters
- The Guardian
- Al Jazeera
All of these sources present a well-rounded package of global and local news on politics, finance, culture, science and so on. Sign up for their newsletters, download their apps or follow them on social media to get access to updates daily.
Some of these points of call offer free content, however you might want to pony up for the paid services if you want a premium and ad-free experience. Paid Subscriptions: And, you will also get exclusive and long- form articles and features that give context to the news happening around.
2. Utilise News Aggregators
In a world with so much information, it can be difficult to sort what is important. Cue news aggregators. It will save your time as these platforms aggregate news from different sources and provide it in one place to read easily.
- News Aggregators that you might be familiar with include:
- Google News — Personalized for You by Location and Interest
- Flipboard :Create your own news magazines, focused on topics that interest you.
Apple News is another excellent app that does the heavy lifting when it comes to finding articles from all of Apple’s leading publications.
Feedly — Good for Blogging, Podcasts and Sources of News.
Maximised news aggregators — After the above, which is quite limiting regardless of their popularity and utility news aggregators are excellent. In addition, they allow you to personalize so you can read what interests YOU: Technology (Tech), Global Politics (The Latest), Entertainment LifeStyle (Entertainment) or Women’s Health(opinion).
3. Keep up with Journalists and Experts on Social Media
Social media channels such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or even Instagram are more than mere means for socialising – they can be invaluable tools keeping you in-the-know with the latest news and professional speculations. Several journalists and other insiders offer frequent status notes, tidbits of news, or early takes that make it easier to monitor the industry.
For example, follow journalists and public figures as well as publications concerning your interests on Twitter. A lot of news gets heard first on Twitter before it even hits the big media outlets. You can also leverage Twitter’s Lists feature to create a new or subscribe to an existing feed of journalists/lists from a particular niche. In the professional industry space, sites like LinkedIn are where you get a lot of business news, technology startup news and content.
Instagram Mobile App features highlights on the latest news, extracts of content from respected media sources like BBC News, NPR and The New York Times. However, you may want to be circumspect as social media can move quickly and not all the information we see is correct. Check all the facts on your own with proven sources.
4. Podcasts and News Shows
The days of listening to the ‘News at 10’ to get your daily fix are well and truly behind us, now we consume information on-the-go thanks to podcasts. Podcasts will let you digest news and information while on your commute, working out, or cooking without having to be stuck staring at a screen. I have selected a few news podcasts that will provide the most in-depth news discussions available on current events.
- Read-Treat: The Daily by the New York Times
- Up First by NPR
- Today, Explained by Vox
- Global News Podcast by BBC
These shows provide a nice combination of news and stories that help make serious subjects more palatable to readers. You can find all episodes on Apple, Spotify, and now Google! YouTube is also one of the largest places for news channels or creators covering a host of different topics independently. Enjoy daily or weekly video updates from channels like CNN, Vice News, and DW News.
5. News Alerts & News Notifications
Configuring news alerts is one of the easiest ways to stay informed without hunting for news. Solution: Google Alerts (Get notified when specific keywords are being searched) This is great if you want to keep track of a niche or subjects, companies, or famous persons.
Or, say you follow cryptocurrency or are interested in the issue of climate change — you can set alerts for these search terms and Google will let you know when news on such topics is published. Apps like BBC, The New York Times or CNN can send you new-breaking news alerts to keep you updated (these are available on some other apps too).
Smartphone operating systems e.g. iOS, Android also have the feature of personalizing your news app notifications as alerts so that you can be aware from anywhere and everywhere in a real time manner. That way, you will not even have to scroll for breaking news.
6. Participate in Webinars and Virtual Events
Webinars and live streams do all of this while current events like them have become standard practice for thought leaders and organizations alike. In addition to being a conduit for real-time conversations with thought leaders, platforms such as Zoom, Clubhouse or LinkedIn Live are great for gaining awareness from the mass. These events often come with Q&A sections in which you can get to know more and clear up any confusion on the respective subject.
Webinars and live-streamed events can also provide a more interactive method of learning about niche subjects that might not get much play in the mainstream media. These events will be available to you on an array of topics related to global geopolitics and emerging technologies, environmental issues, as well as the social justice movements that matter.
7. Experiment: Deep dives with long-form journalism + Magazines
Longer exercise of journalism : If you need more than headlines and tweets, long-form journalism and features are good options for exploring themes in greater depth. Publications like The Atlantic, The New Yorker and Foreign Affairs often provide thoughtful reporting on current events that is helpful in providing broader context and analysis of the issues we are hosting conversations about.
Daily follow-ups are more necessary, yet sometimes taking a broad view across specific topics can provide the larger context. Either pay for a subscription to its digital mags, or grab them through Apple News or Pocket if you want offline reading.
Conclusion
It is important to be aware in a world where information travels fast and an overload of news and data are but one click away. There are a ton of ways from subscribing to news sources and using news aggregators, following experts on social media (some that I follow regularly — DC Rainmaker), your work company even throwing webinars. Shape your news diet well, and you will be not only informed but also literate on the intricacies of a very confusing world.