I like to stay on top of the news… but I find it so cumbersome to read an actual newspaper. In fact, I absolutely hate newspapers. They make my hands feel super dirty and they’re so hard to maneuver. Am I the only one who feels like this? Also, I wish I could say that I was super grown up and sat down every morning with a cup of coffee and a newspaper (the definition of “grown up” in my opinion!)… but I tend to spend my morning straightening my hair and/or touching up my nail polish. And I prefer to read a novel while I eat breakfast.
But I still need a way to stay up to date. Especially since I won’t be in a classroom setting, where current events are talked about all the time, I’m coming up with ways in which I can read the news that fits with my personal quirks (read: keeping my fingers clean) and my unpredictable morning schedule.
I’ve come up with a bit of a system, but it’s definitely a work in progress and I’d love to hear your opinion and what works for you.
One of my professors recommended signing up for The New York Times “Today’s Headlines” emails. It’s free, you can sign up here. It shows up in your inbox every morning (around 4 or 5 in the morning). I “star” it in my inbox and read a couple of articles throughout the day. There’s no way I could read them all, but I love being able to pick and choose and see all the headlines for the day at once!
I try (read: try) to read one or two from each section… but admittedly sometimes I get bored and don’t… whoops!
My favorite part is the quotation of the day. It’s great because they’re normally eye-catching enough and piques my interest enough into actually clicking through and reading.
If I have my iPad handy and I’m not working on a book (I download nook books generally), I will scroll through some articles in Flipboard. It’s one of my favorite apps. (You can read more about my favorite academic iPad apps here.)
Twitter is also a great resource. It’s the BEST solution for anyone on the go. I follow the New York Times, CNN, and the Today Show (because they tweet fun stories). All three have various news topics and it’s the easiest way to get breaking news. Also, I find that if I’m waiting in line (or awkwardly standing in an elevator), I’ll be scrolling through my timeline and find a few interesting news stories to read! Bite-sized tweets let me pick and choose which ones I end up reading.
Lastly, I’m obsessed with Newsweek. It’s my favorite. I like to keep it for a weekend. Usually, I break off for an hour or two to have a leisurely meal by myself. Newsweek is the perfect length and it’s a great balance of entertaining and informational and historical articles.
(from my instagram @collegeprepster)
What do you do to stay on top of the news?
xoxo
I was a Time magazine junkie before I started law school a year ago! I didn't have enough time to read it anymore so I cancelled my subscription but I do love it! I think it is a great publication.
Online news has totally solved my issues with feeling dirty by touching newspapers too! That is no not just you. I cringe when I have to touch newspapers – you should see my process to pull out the coupons every Sunday.
KK
I HATE newspapers too! Cannot stand them for the same reasons. But I'm a newshound (and was a Comm major) so I read 8-10 publications both local, national and world wide at least once a day if not more. Once you just get yourself into the habit it's much easier! I recently got an iPad and it's totally helped because I can pull it out when I have even just 5 minutes and read a story super quick. Good luck!
Great ideas! I am horrible about staying on top of the news. Think I'll give that NY Times email a try 🙂
I love having all the apps on my iPhone so I've got the news at my fingertips! I also love that you get breaking news headlines throughout the day from the apps – so I can always stay on top of what's going on. I have NY Times, CNN, and Huffington Post, and for some reason Huffington Post is always way ahead of the other two!
I listen to NPR on my way home from work, it's prob the only "grown up thing" I do, but it really helps me keep in touch with the real world. They have some really interesting stories too! A perfect way to fill that 'down' time!
I despise reading actual newspapers! I always try to read them in class and feel like a fool! All of my business classes suggest we stay up on the news, primarily through newspapers, but I just cannot stand them. One of my favorite magazines for news is The Week, they break down all of the major stories with input from lots of different publications.
I have to politely disagree with your newspaper assessment haha. (I may have mentioned before) I was a journalism major in college and love love the feel of holding the product in my hand. I do spend my Sunday mornings sprawled out on the couch, coffee in hand, with the newspaper spread around me. I know that isn't practical for everyday reading so I checked the local news website & follow on twitter for major/world news. I also watch NBC nightly news/Rock Center. I signed up for the Today's Headlines email to give it a shot too.
Definitely signing up for that! Such a great way to stay updated.