Like any other addiction, your information routine is a difficult aspect to change once you get used to it. In case you don’t pay any attention to the information now, it gets more difficult as you grow older to recognize in which to start. In case you pay plenty of interest to a selected set of resources now, you could be missing out on a whole lot of outstanding, eye-beginning journalism. In case you don’t consider it and just scroll through whatever comes across your social network feeds, you’re honestly being used to a certain set of views besides even realizing it. (On the net, we call this the filter bubble. Here’s a magnificent TED talk about it.)
One of the excellent things you can do for yourself whilst you’re younger is to broaden a personal news habitual that works for you, and, as the times and your lifestyle change, keep re-evaluating and updating it.
Here’s a 5-step manner for doing just that.
Step 1: Ask Yourself Why You Want to Consume the Information
This might change as you get older, but starting with as clear and honest of an objective as possible is always better than mindlessly eating a lot of empty media energy.
For example:
- I need to be up-to-date on news about an area, institution of people or issue that I care about or am personally connected to.
- I don’t want to appear like I don’t know what’s going on in the world because it’s embarrassing.
- I think keeping up with the news will help me do better in school (or at my job or internship).
- I’m really curious about the world and want to be inspired or entertained.
- I want to learn about journalism and do my own reporting in the future.
- I don’t really care to, but I probably need to read the paper.
Step 2: Ask Yourself If Your Current News Consumption Habits Are Helping You Fulfill Your Intentions
You may even make a list of all the places from which you get the news. For example:
- Television: Which shows? How often?
- Social Media: Who posts there? What kind of stories?
- Print Magazines and Newspapers: Which ones? How much do you read?
- Online Videos: From where? About what?
- Websites: Which sources? How are you getting to them?
- Apps: Which ones? Why?
You might find that you already follow a ton of great sources. Or you might find that you don’t really consume all that much “news” with any kind of discipline or regularity. Maybe you’re constantly watching videos and reading articles from sites that aren’t reliable sources.
Delete the things from this list that you think aren’t enriching you or helping you meet your goals. Or, at least pass them over and make room for more journalism.
Step 3: Find New Resources!
Asking people you know where and how they get their news is a great way to start. For example:
- Is there a teacher you really admire? Ask where he/she consumes their news.
- A friend who seems to know everything all the time? What news apps are they using?
Do a little research of your own. Several news discovery apps aggregate news from a variety of outlets, so keep your eyes open for which ones you’re drawn to. Even if you don’t do it very often, make it a point to visit their website, get a feel for what their slant is and who their writers and editors are at least once, so you’re aware.
Ask a journalist. Are there reporters you admire? See who they follow and interact with on Twitter. See where else they have bylines. Reach out to them.
Ask a topic expert. Interested in a specific issue? Who covers the topic for a major news outlet? Who specializes in it at a research department? Read their blog. Reach out to them and ask what sources they follow.
Step 4: Logistics
How Much Time Do You Have Per Day for the News? Where Will You Be?
Maybe it’s just 30 minutes in the morning before school. Maybe you have a long bus ride. Maybe you have a free period. Maybe it’ll be over dinner in the evening with your family, or on Sunday morning at home. Maybe it’s a few minutes here and there throughout the day.
What Medium(s) Do You Prefer?
Maybe you want to exclusively use your phone. Maybe you want to use a laptop. Maybe you like to read the paper or magazines in print because your family subscribes.
If you’re on your phone:
- Do you want to use several different news apps?
- Do you want one app that will aggregate a lot of sources?
- Do you want to read the news through your email instead of an app?
- Maybe you just want to watch videos or listen to radio.
- Maybe you want more news on platforms you already use for social purposes, like Snapchat or Instagram.
See what feels right.
Step 5: Bring Together a Diet!
Look at everything you’ve accumulated in Steps 1–4 and see what you can put together for yourself.
I would recommend consuming at least 1 professional national publication for a picture of the big picture each day, and then adding on sources you’re interested in at the platforms of your choosing.
- You can aggregate sources using a service like Feedly or Paper.li.
- You can download apps for specific news organizations or subscribe to their email newsletters.
- You can fill your social media feeds with news by following the accounts of news organizations.
