I don’t like to read the news. It’s not that it’s boring or even that I don’t care about the world and what is happening in it. There’s just so much information. We live in a global age, where it’s not enough to know about one issue—now I have to know different countries stances on an issue and why.
Which leads to researching other countries cultures and religions, and that’s all well and good, but I also like to sleep, watch TV, and oh yeah I have work. In the real world, sometimes people ask you what you think about the news (although talking about politics is one of the easiest ways to lose friends), but it’s good to be aware.
So, if like me you value your down time, but don’t want to seem completely clueless, here are some tips for how to keep up without drowning in news.
Skimm Newsletter
Honestly, I love this daily newsy email so much. When I travel and can’t read it as easily at my desk I get antsy. It includes all the headlines you really need to know with some sass, and just enough snark. Also comes with wine recommendations so sign up here.
Your World
There are so many things happening in the world, so sometimes we just need someone to help us condense all the important information. CBS does it for you. Every morning they give you the biggest highlights from yesterday in 90 seconds. Watch the videos here.
Nightcap Newsletter
Much like the Skimm, Nightcap is a nightly look at politics. This is the kind of thing you want to turn on for the presidential race OR you might want to wait until the primaries are over. Every morning I get it, and it seems like a ton of information, but it’s important to know about the people we are (or aren’t) voting for. Sign up here.
As I’ve already admitted I don’t like reading the news, but I have found following one or two Twitter news accounts keeps me up to date without making me want to avoid Twitter altogether. It’s important to pick Twitter accounts that have a good balance and don’t Tweet 100+ times a day. Follow @NPR, @VanityFair, @BuzzfeedNews, @MashableNews (and @LitDarling, of course).
TV Shows
Let’s be real: I watch way more TV than I should. Although I’m not about to waste my time waiting for the news to come on, but you can still learn from TV—which I’ve been telling my mom for 20 years. Lately it’s been “Madame Secretary” teaching me things. As I watched season one on Netflix I realized how closely it was mirroring what was happening in the real world: the Iran Deal, ISIS, etc. As I watched the second season premiere they talked about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the next day I read that the U.S. and 11 others countries had finalized the deal. While it’s still important to research things you hear on TV, sometimes it’s a good place to start.
Clarifying Questions
I’m going to teach you a secret. It’s how I made it through “Great Expectations” in middle school without reading the book. Ask people of people who do enjoy the news. “What do you think about this?”, “Could Trump ACTUALLY win this thing?”, “Why is this Iran deal such a big deal?”. You can ask actual people you know or shout into the void that is the Internet. Either way it’s better to ask someone about it before you get yourself riled up and look like an idiot.
