How to keep up with the news in a sane manner (i.e. weekly)
November 7, 2024 9:19 AM Subscribe
For the next several years, I'd like to reduce my news consumption to once a week, while also getting alerts for truly critical events. Is this possible?
So this is probably two separate questions:
1. What is the best way to get my news once a week in text form where I see only the most important things that happened that week? I'm willing to pay for this service.
2. If I'm not checking news daily, how can I make sure I don't miss something really important happening? In the past I've subscribed to news alerts from NYT and others but they are way too frequent and often don't distinguish truly breaking important events vs. "this is just the biggest story happening today, but it won't be important by tomorrow"
So this is probably two separate questions:
1. What is the best way to get my news once a week in text form where I see only the most important things that happened that week? I'm willing to pay for this service.
2. If I'm not checking news daily, how can I make sure I don't miss something really important happening? In the past I've subscribed to news alerts from NYT and others but they are way too frequent and often don't distinguish truly breaking important events vs. "this is just the biggest story happening today, but it won't be important by tomorrow"
May I recommend the excellent World in Brief (formerly Espresso) from The Economist. I have not seen any significant bias in their reporting. Needs a subscription.
You can read in two minutes daily.
Don't know about alerts though... may Google News Alerts? Or write your scraper and have it alert you? (sorry if that was unhelpful)
posted by techSupp0rt at 9:49 AM on November 7
You can read in two minutes daily.
Don't know about alerts though... may Google News Alerts? Or write your scraper and have it alert you? (sorry if that was unhelpful)
posted by techSupp0rt at 9:49 AM on November 7
I unsubscribed from all my 7 at 7 and 9 at 9 news headline alerts today. If something truly important that I can do something about happens, I'm going to hear about it.
Also if you leave the house, newspapers still have headlines you can glance at.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:01 AM on November 7 [2 favorites]
Also if you leave the house, newspapers still have headlines you can glance at.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:01 AM on November 7 [2 favorites]
At the moment this tag is full of election coverage, but once the election coverage has stopped, Australian Broadcasting Corporation's tag
https://www.abc.net.au/news/topic/united-states
will only have the biggest US news stories eg major political news and big storms, and you could check it once a week.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 10:10 AM on November 7 [1 favorite]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/topic/united-states
will only have the biggest US news stories eg major political news and big storms, and you could check it once a week.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 10:10 AM on November 7 [1 favorite]
Print journalism does this extremely well, and paying for journalism supports high quality journalism. Your choice whether you do a weekend paper or a weekly magazine. Pick one that is serious and thoughtful and less partisan, and you will be glad for the shift.
Online news is shallow news because it requires a short cycle from event to article. Pick sources that have marinated their thoughts for a week or so before presenting them to you.
posted by moosetracks at 10:12 AM on November 7 [5 favorites]
Online news is shallow news because it requires a short cycle from event to article. Pick sources that have marinated their thoughts for a week or so before presenting them to you.
posted by moosetracks at 10:12 AM on November 7 [5 favorites]
whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com was my site of choice for news the last Trump term, and it looks like they've kept on posting. You can get daily emails, or just scroll back through the site for the week. Sometimes a lot of text, maybe covering more items than you'd prefer, but text only and with a summary-minded focus.
posted by deludingmyself at 10:12 AM on November 7 [1 favorite]
posted by deludingmyself at 10:12 AM on November 7 [1 favorite]
As to your question 2, I have never missed an event that was actually breaking news, because I hear about it from people in real life. If the people I know aren’t reacting to it to me, that is a good filter for “it’s not urgent enough or not local enough for me to need to know about it today.”
posted by moosetracks at 10:15 AM on November 7 [6 favorites]
posted by moosetracks at 10:15 AM on November 7 [6 favorites]
^ what moosetracks said. I really don't follow any news, but news that is truly important or interesting always finds me. It will trickle through to MeFi, someone will text me, it will make its way into my very rigorously un-political, un-newsy Instagram feed, or for truly large things my phone will send me Apple News alerts. (I used to try to turn that off, but it was a big hassle and now I just kind of consider it News of Last Resort.)
My partner gets a print daily local newspaper and he loves it. There are no comment sections, no needlessly inflammatory headlines, no whack-a-mole of ads to block. He has deactivated his Twitter and all that other crap since the election but he's never going to cancel the paper. I don't often actually read it but obviously if I felt I needed to, I would.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 10:32 AM on November 7
My partner gets a print daily local newspaper and he loves it. There are no comment sections, no needlessly inflammatory headlines, no whack-a-mole of ads to block. He has deactivated his Twitter and all that other crap since the election but he's never going to cancel the paper. I don't often actually read it but obviously if I felt I needed to, I would.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 10:32 AM on November 7
how can I make sure I don't miss something really important happening?
So first, I challenge that almost none of it is "truly important" in the sense that it will matter much to you if you hear it that week or the next.
And second, whatever is really important, people will tell you. It's great, just do nothing and your friends and family and coworkers will tell you if there's something you need to know!
This may not work so well if you have a very small social circle. But if you're online enough to post here, news will break its way into your non-news online spaces too.
For urgent safety/ disaster type news, I suggest getting an inexpensive weather radio, they will turn on and alert you if there is a fire or tornado or something urgent like that.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:02 AM on November 7 [4 favorites]
So first, I challenge that almost none of it is "truly important" in the sense that it will matter much to you if you hear it that week or the next.
And second, whatever is really important, people will tell you. It's great, just do nothing and your friends and family and coworkers will tell you if there's something you need to know!
This may not work so well if you have a very small social circle. But if you're online enough to post here, news will break its way into your non-news online spaces too.
For urgent safety/ disaster type news, I suggest getting an inexpensive weather radio, they will turn on and alert you if there is a fire or tornado or something urgent like that.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:02 AM on November 7 [4 favorites]
I use a RSS reader for news. I’m still adjusting which feeds to add, but my primary ones are Associated Press, ProPublica, and a state-level source. Inoreader and Feedly are the RSS readers I like. Some feeds let you read entire articles within the reader, but others make you follow a link to their site. Either way, it’s a lower-noise reading experience.
posted by Hex Wrench at 12:12 PM on November 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Hex Wrench at 12:12 PM on November 7 [1 favorite]
For #1, I like The Week magazine. All the stories are digested from and reference reliable news sources. I've only received it in print, but it's also available digitally.
For #2, I use the NYT evening newsletter in the NYT app. It's easy to skim headlines and dive into any story of interest. I don't have a subscription, but I can get a code through my public library's website for access each day.
Or, if you get a digital subscription to The Week, you can get their daily news snapshot via email or in the app.
posted by Boxenmacher at 1:12 PM on November 7 [2 favorites]
For #2, I use the NYT evening newsletter in the NYT app. It's easy to skim headlines and dive into any story of interest. I don't have a subscription, but I can get a code through my public library's website for access each day.
Or, if you get a digital subscription to The Week, you can get their daily news snapshot via email or in the app.
posted by Boxenmacher at 1:12 PM on November 7 [2 favorites]
Yep, I came here to say WTFJHT was useful the first time around.
posted by limeonaire at 2:05 PM on November 7
posted by limeonaire at 2:05 PM on November 7
+1 to "truly breaking news will find you." I go read the NYT homepage when someone mentions something in my social circle, and that's enough to catch up on anything important.
posted by serelliya at 3:48 PM on November 7
posted by serelliya at 3:48 PM on November 7
Best answer: NewsMinimalist is great. I get their newsletter and it's about as minimal is can be.
posted by dobbs at 3:54 PM on November 7 [3 favorites]
posted by dobbs at 3:54 PM on November 7 [3 favorites]
Harper's has a weekly review and the full issues explore significant issues at greater depth
posted by HearHere at 12:50 AM on November 8
posted by HearHere at 12:50 AM on November 8
I generally do my news withdrawal by following LOCAL news sources - a local CBS affiliate and a news website for my city.
They post about lower-stakes things that actually affect me. If a higher-stakes thing happens nationally, it will filter down to those sites too, but most of the time I get to read about local happenings and local issues.
posted by mmoncur at 3:47 AM on November 8 [1 favorite]
They post about lower-stakes things that actually affect me. If a higher-stakes thing happens nationally, it will filter down to those sites too, but most of the time I get to read about local happenings and local issues.
posted by mmoncur at 3:47 AM on November 8 [1 favorite]
Thanks for asking this, I have cut my news consumption by 95% since..
"So first, I challenge that almost none of it is "truly important" " This.
posted by blink_left at 7:24 AM on November 8 [1 favorite]
"So first, I challenge that almost none of it is "truly important" " This.
posted by blink_left at 7:24 AM on November 8 [1 favorite]
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posted by flabdablet at 9:46 AM on November 7 [4 favorites]