My journalism professors always emphasize the same thing, regardless of which course they’re teaching. They emphasize how crucial it is to stay in the loop and how it’s important to be more informed about what’s happening in the world. Being in college has made me even more aware of how much is happening in the world and I’m more informed than I’ve ever been.
Being informed doesn’t have to be boring. Plus, being informed can also entail staying in the loop about things that interest you, like the moms from Teen Mom 2 or even your next travel destination.
1. Sign Up for Newsletters
I hate cluttered inboxes. I find myself unsubscribing from store’s newsletters and all sorts of newsletters I never remembered signing up for. That being said, there are a few I subscribe to and try to read as often as possible: The New Yorker, A Cup of Jo and Man Repeller. They keep me in the loop of trends and good reads without making me feel like my inbox is cluttered.
I suggest subscribing to one news site and a few blogs you enjoy. It’s an easy way to keep yourself in the loop of your favorite content. Some people also enjoy newsletters that combine all of the news into one place, like theSkimm.
2. Utilize the Apple News App
I recently re-discovered this app that I had placed in my “Poop Emoji” folder on the last page of my iPhone apps because my boyfriend shared articles from it. This app is great for choosing which topics and news sources you’d like all in one place.
I always check my phone before bed (I know! I know) but I feel better about scrolling through the Apple News app than I do scrolling through Instagram and Snapchat. This is the perfect way to productively procrastinate while still keeping yourself informed of what’s going on in the world and within the topics you enjoy.
{Related: 7 Apps Every College Student Needs}
3. Turn on Phone Notifications
This can be done within specific news source apps or within the aforementioned Apple News app. These definitely keep you informed but they can also get annoying and depressing. I have turned most of these notifications off, but I keep some of them on. I like to only get these for breaking news, but I turn them off and on as I feel necessary.
4. Follow Blogs You Love
My favorite way to do this is through Bloglovin‘. It’s sort of like having subscriptions to all of your favorite blogs in one place. I love visiting my Bloglovin’ homepage whenever I’m in the mood to read and catch up on the latest news and trends in the blogging and fashion world.
5. Turn on Google News Alerts
This is mostly useful if there’s a real niche or specific thing you’d like to be kept in the loop about, like your college, your hometown or even a specific TV show or hobby you might have. Google News alerts basically just notify you of when that thing has made it in the news. It might also be interesting to put one out on your own name as well!
6. Social Media
Following a mix of news stations, magazines, writers, newspapers, celebrities, meme makers, influencers and accounts that post pictures of cute cats is pretty much what I do. It helps me stay in the loop in my field (journalism) while keeping my sanity (cat photos and memes) and in the loop in the world (news).
I find that Twitter and Facebook are the handiest platforms for staying in the loop. I usually scroll through Twitter whenever a disaster or breaking news event happens because I find it gives a lot of extensive coverage and sources. It’s also very bite-sized so it can be useful in a pinch.
7. Try Podcasts
I know a lot of students and professors who listen to daily news podcasts as they eat their breakfast or get ready for the day. This is an easy way to know what’s going on in the world, especially if you commute to work or school and listen to this on the drive over. Personally, I prefer self-help or beauty podcasts. But, in their own way, those keep you be more informed, too.
There are truly podcasts on anything and everything you could possibly want to be more informed about. It just takes a little bit of searching.
How do you stay informed and in the loop?
