Since 2016, my main source for news has always been Twitter. I intentionally followed journalists, publications and politicians who I trusted and depended on them collectively to tell me what was important, which articles I should read to become more informed and what was the general consensus amongst liberal progressive intelligent adults on certain issues. They didn’t always agree and I didn’t always agree with them, but at least I could begin to form my opinions based on a subset of individuals who shared my values and were paying close attention. I often found that I was clued into stories as they were developing and by the time they reached major publications, I was already well versed in the topic with a lot of additional background information which came in handy as the conversation spread to my real life friends and family. Look at me! I know what I am talking about!
Unfortunately, Elon Musk bought twitter and kinda ruined that for me. It’s not that my twitter feed is suddenly all right wing pundits or people pushing bad takes under the guise of “freedom of speech,” it’s that it’s become much more entertainment based. I get funny parenting tweets, pop culture references and viral videos of people’s pets. I’m not sure if twitter’s new algorithm sensed I didn’t like doomsday scrolling as much as I used to, if all my favorite sources fled once Musk got involved or if this is what’s happened to everyone’s feeds, but for the first time in years, my twitter feed more closely resembles my FYP on tiktok than it does the front page of the NYTimes.
To be honest, I’m not mad about it. I find myself engaging in enjoyable banter about Gen X nostalgia and parenting milestones instead of getting outraged on the regular. But I did notice recently that I’m starting to miss major news stories. For instance, I knew there was an earthquake in Turkey, but I had no idea how bad it was until my sister forwarded me an email about how to help. And my stepmom brought up the Dominion lawsuit at dinner before I had heard a word.
In the past, if I had missed something major that happened, I would usually get messages from my followers asking for my thoughts or nudging me to acknowledge what was happening publicly. So, I guess I’m just as surprised that I didn’t hear about the Turkey earthquakes on twitter, as I am that no one DMed asking why I hadn’t posted to show my support. Maybe this was just a very 2020 thing to expect of your favorite Instagram accounts? Or maybe all of our content consumption has shifted toward entertainment for sanity’s sake? I’m debating whether it was a choice we made or a choice made for us.
All this to say, I need a new way to get my news. How are you all following things? Just reading the NYTimes on your phone like Mike? Aggregating in Apple News? Following certain Instagram accounts? Help me out! I’m starting to feel very uninformed.
I've followed her for awhile. She's great! I actually had to go seek her out recently because I realized she wasn't coming up in my feed as much as she used to.
In the same boat except I left twitter completely. Sunday I was like 'what do you mean a bank failed last week?' I had no idea. Starting to listen to some daily podcasts like The Daily and NPR News Now
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I knew about the bank fail because Mike has CNBC on all day long. I used to listen to the Daily every day. I need to get back to that.
Leah and I were just talking about how we stopped listening to the Daily during the abortion debate because they gave way too much air time to anti-choice people and it was rage inducing.
I follow @underthedesknews with V Spehar on both Instagram and TikTok. Also Heather Cox Richardson’s daily newsletters are so informative! NPR’s Up First is helpful, too. We have a CityCast poscast here in Pittsburgh that keeps me up to date on local stuff.
I’m glad you mentioned the change on Twitter. I was actually considering going back to it to get my news fix, but I think I’ll pass. Haha!
I like TheSkimm and NYT daily morning email, plus SharonSaysSo and Jessica Yellin on Instagram, but lately, I have been LOVING the Pantsuit Politics podcast. Their free version comes out on Tuesdays and Fridays and they present really nuanced perspectives on top news stories. I am seriously considering their patron because they do daily news briefs too.
I really love MoNews (@mosheh) on Instagram! I've also started listening to his daily podcast on my commute back home after dropping off my kids at school. He does a great job of breaking things down so I know what's going on, but it doesn't feel overwhelming either.
I love Sharon McMahon and think she is a great choice!! (I have a 5 minute IG limit per day so I can’t really make this work personally... but if I had better self control, this is the way I would go.)
I get breaking news emails from NYT and that, plus a daily digest email (like theSkimm) and the FlipSide (which gives both sides of a specific topic) is enough for me to feel informed. Then I dig deeper if I feel like I need more info.
I turned off Apple News on my phone because it was too bleak for me!
I listen to the Daily podcast, Pantsuit Politics podcast, and MoNews Podcast, and follow SharonSaysSo on Instagram. I also get the daily Reuters newsletter emailed to me. I am finding this is a good balance of knowing what is going on in the world without feeling like my head is always about to explode. My life has improved since I gave up Twitter.
I like theSkimm and Katie Couric’s newsletter. They only come once a day so it isn’t always up to date however there is no algorithm preventing me from seeing it.
I like Jessica Yellin/News Not Noise on IG, and I only look at Twitter in the "Following" feed, which is just a chronological feed of people you follow. The "For You" feed swings too wildly from news to entertainment to weird stuff I'm not even interested in. The "Following" feed is a little more boring and you don't find anything new, but if you have a well curated Follow list it can work.
I listen to the What a Day podcast every morning (15-30 minutes tops), and I also subscribe to their nightly newsletter (sign up here: https://crooked.com/newsletters/). They touch on all the big topics, hit the major social issues, do some in-depth reporting on lesser known issues, interviews, etc. Liberal news reporting, humorous, I like the hosts a lot, and I find I'm a lot more informed without having to spend too much time looking around at other news outlets. I like it so much they actually motivated me to sign up to be an election judge, which I did last election, and likely will do again in the future.
I really like 1440. It’s quick, it’s unbiased, and it covers both national and international news and includes not just politics but also sports, culture, business, science, etc. As a busy working mom, I like getting a daily email with top stories and some extras/tidbits that I can read through quickly to get the gist and click links to read more for anything of particular interest. I would say the only downside is that I don’t get real-time updates (breaking news), but most of the time “next morning” awareness is soon enough for me.
NYT and WaPo on their apps, Jay Kuo on FB (former lawyer-turned-broadway composer! I love his legal and political breakdowns), SharonSaysSo, Jessica Yellin.
As many have said, @sharonsayso and @mosheh on IG. I also listen to their podcasts "Mo News" for daily news, and "Here's Where it Gets Interesting" to learn about history and US government facts.
I’ve had a similar experience with Twitter. I still scroll but I also read The NY Times daily, Washington Post a few times/week and listen to some news-related podcasts like Pod Save America, Hysteria (my fav!), and the Ezra Klein show. I also get a few current events-y Substacks including Slow Boring and The Message Box.
Try NPR National Public Radio. They highlight major international events. So far it’s the only news station I have found on the car radio but reception is very poor here in Palm Beach county. The 11 o’clock news on your local TV station. Or stream CNN.
I subscribe to the NYT, WSJ and the Boston Globe (my city) and check there top news sections a few times a day.
The NYT’s The Morning email newsletter is great. They do a deeper summary of one big story that helps me learn fast and then you get a mix of other interesting headlines. 1440 that others mentioned is also a good, quick read to get the important headlines with less ‘here’s why we think this is important.’
I generally avoid News through social media unless I’m intentionally wanting to see what the feedback looks like. I just have found it all designed around eliciting an emotional response from people and when you actually read the full articles you realize the story being discussed is almost always more nuanced than the online debate makes it seem and actually not that important . That Twitter outrage cycle you described is a huge turn off for me and newspapers like the Washington Post have that same vibe on Instagram.
I follow a bunch of my news sources on IG and they’re definitely less reliable for being informed of big news than just using the notifications from their mobile apps.
TV news is a huge no for me. I used to love NPR when I was in the car more but now I mostly listen to podcasts that explain news events more. I like Ezra Klein, Bari Weiss and Freakonomics.
I love UnderTheDeskNews on IG and also follow The Washington Post, SharonSaysSo and RideTheNews on IG as well as reading the NYT morning email. Too many sources and it gets overwhelming, but those produce a good overview for me.
I listen to the Daily every morning. I get several email newsletters - NYT "The Morning", Katie Couric. I still get cable and flip through the morning shows, partly to get the local weather, but also b/c I like to see what their tops stories are. Mostly Today Show, with stops at CBS This Morning. I also go to the NYT app numerous times a day. And CNN is on all day at work.
I knew about these things (trusted sources on FB mostly) but you’ve been so good about posting things you were moved by that I assumed it was a choice. I was thinking, however, about messaging if you are Team Selena, however. Seriously. But I wasn’t sure if you’d be interested in that drama.
I think this has been said a bunch but I follow moshe, sharonsayson, and jessica yellin. I think that I am very well informed in the way that you are saying you used to feel. I also follow brian derrick and emily in your phone for more progressive partisan info. This is all on instagram.
I moved to The Guardian and WaPo instead of NYT due to the anti trans opinion pieces lately in NYT. Acknowledging that WaPo ownership is problematic in different ways.
I've been watching the PBS NewsHour literally since it was the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour when I was in high school. I usually stream it while I'm cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. They do a pretty good job covering need-to-know national stories. But there are days when I need a break from the news so I skip it.
I follow News not Noise and Mo News on Instagram. NNN is briefer in the info on their stories, but Mo News has in depth reporting if you really want to dig into something.
Like many others have suggested, I get Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter and podcast. On Insta I keep up with SharonSaysSo, Mosheh, and JessicaYellin. On FB I follow NPR, my local news, and other pubs like the Atlantic and The Hill.
SmartHer News on IG. In the morning when I’m getting ready(if I’m home during the day it’s on too) I have the news on the tv, so I listen but I’m not intently watching.
I have the Associated Press app on my phone & notifications turned on. Sometimes it pushes editorials but it does always push the breaking news stories. I live in Chicago so I also have NBC Chicago app with notifications turned on so it's another source of national "breaking" news (sometimes doubling up but at least I don't miss things!) plus the local breaking news alerts. I find I need the pushes vs. remembering to open the app & scan the headlines everyday.
I used to be all news all the time. Since the whole takeover of Musk and the craziness of world I have to admit I have taken drastic step back. I keep eye on local news and will watch the Nightly News but that is the extent at this time.
I get a daily email with some of the top new stories from both CNN and a local newspaper. I think something along those lines is a good option and there's other places that offer something similar. I also pick up a bit from social media particularly Reddit. When I open a new Chrome tab on my phone, Google suggests some articles based on what I've looked at previously and I'll skim through to see if anything looks interesting.
I'm not as up on the news as I perhaps should be, but I only have so much time and energy. I've been a bit overwhelmed with life in general and I'm trying to get into a better place and more on top of things. The news is also so depressing often. So I'm just trying to keep up with the highlights of the biggest stories and dive deeper into the occasional thing that catches my interest.
I listen to UpFirst and The Daily (and occasionally Mo News Podcast), and have a number of news apps on my phone with notifications set up to push me headlines for free (this is the most effective in keeping me very up to date). I also have a NYT digital subscription and read it occasionally.
There is a 5 minute podcast called the 7 from the Washington post that I listen to most days. Also NYTimes scroll every day or two and The Daily podcast if I have more time.
I get most news from SharonSaysSo on IG and Heather Cox Richardson on FB
This! and Mosheh on Insta
Yes, same here! News and education in one spot!
Came here to say this!
JessicaYellin on IG. Definitely has changed my life. Look her up!
I've followed her for awhile. She's great! I actually had to go seek her out recently because I realized she wasn't coming up in my feed as much as she used to.
I was just coming on to say the same. News not Noise with Jessica Yellin is fantastic !
I listen to the NPR news podcast, UpFirst, and I also have the NYTimes app.
UpFirst is the best and an easy way to get an update on what’s going on.
I subscribe to theSkimm. It’s a daily email that gives a brief, well-rounded overview of what’s happening in the news.
I listen to NPR’s up first every single day. About 12 minutes, 3 major stories and I never feel out of the loop!
In the same boat except I left twitter completely. Sunday I was like 'what do you mean a bank failed last week?' I had no idea. Starting to listen to some daily podcasts like The Daily and NPR News Now
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I knew about the bank fail because Mike has CNBC on all day long. I used to listen to the Daily every day. I need to get back to that.
Leah and I were just talking about how we stopped listening to the Daily during the abortion debate because they gave way too much air time to anti-choice people and it was rage inducing.
I only knew about the bank failure thanks to NerdWallet 🤣
I follow @underthedesknews with V Spehar on both Instagram and TikTok. Also Heather Cox Richardson’s daily newsletters are so informative! NPR’s Up First is helpful, too. We have a CityCast poscast here in Pittsburgh that keeps me up to date on local stuff.
I’m glad you mentioned the change on Twitter. I was actually considering going back to it to get my news fix, but I think I’ll pass. Haha!
I like TheSkimm and NYT daily morning email, plus SharonSaysSo and Jessica Yellin on Instagram, but lately, I have been LOVING the Pantsuit Politics podcast. Their free version comes out on Tuesdays and Fridays and they present really nuanced perspectives on top news stories. I am seriously considering their patron because they do daily news briefs too.
I really love MoNews (@mosheh) on Instagram! I've also started listening to his daily podcast on my commute back home after dropping off my kids at school. He does a great job of breaking things down so I know what's going on, but it doesn't feel overwhelming either.
I get most of my news from SharonSaysSo on IG, also JessicaYellin on IG.
I love Sharon McMahon and think she is a great choice!! (I have a 5 minute IG limit per day so I can’t really make this work personally... but if I had better self control, this is the way I would go.)
I get breaking news emails from NYT and that, plus a daily digest email (like theSkimm) and the FlipSide (which gives both sides of a specific topic) is enough for me to feel informed. Then I dig deeper if I feel like I need more info.
I turned off Apple News on my phone because it was too bleak for me!
Do you get “The Morning” newsletter from NYT? That’s my main go to.
Sharon says so is the best
I listen to the Daily podcast, Pantsuit Politics podcast, and MoNews Podcast, and follow SharonSaysSo on Instagram. I also get the daily Reuters newsletter emailed to me. I am finding this is a good balance of knowing what is going on in the world without feeling like my head is always about to explode. My life has improved since I gave up Twitter.
theSkimm' app / daily emails are my go-to for sure. I also follow Jessica Yellin as others have mentioned.
I like theSkimm and Katie Couric’s newsletter. They only come once a day so it isn’t always up to date however there is no algorithm preventing me from seeing it.
I like Jessica Yellin/News Not Noise on IG, and I only look at Twitter in the "Following" feed, which is just a chronological feed of people you follow. The "For You" feed swings too wildly from news to entertainment to weird stuff I'm not even interested in. The "Following" feed is a little more boring and you don't find anything new, but if you have a well curated Follow list it can work.
I listen to the What a Day podcast every morning (15-30 minutes tops), and I also subscribe to their nightly newsletter (sign up here: https://crooked.com/newsletters/). They touch on all the big topics, hit the major social issues, do some in-depth reporting on lesser known issues, interviews, etc. Liberal news reporting, humorous, I like the hosts a lot, and I find I'm a lot more informed without having to spend too much time looking around at other news outlets. I like it so much they actually motivated me to sign up to be an election judge, which I did last election, and likely will do again in the future.
Is that Jon Favreau? I know he is crooked media and I love his offline podcast.
It's not Jon Favreau. It's 4-5 reporters that rotate, two a day are on the podcast.
I really like 1440. It’s quick, it’s unbiased, and it covers both national and international news and includes not just politics but also sports, culture, business, science, etc. As a busy working mom, I like getting a daily email with top stories and some extras/tidbits that I can read through quickly to get the gist and click links to read more for anything of particular interest. I would say the only downside is that I don’t get real-time updates (breaking news), but most of the time “next morning” awareness is soon enough for me.
NYT and WaPo on their apps, Jay Kuo on FB (former lawyer-turned-broadway composer! I love his legal and political breakdowns), SharonSaysSo, Jessica Yellin.
I like @jessicayellin on Instagram for impartial news with helpful breakdowns. She has a newsletter too.
I should get her newsletter. Is it on substack?
Yes! News Not Noise
As many have said, @sharonsayso and @mosheh on IG. I also listen to their podcasts "Mo News" for daily news, and "Here's Where it Gets Interesting" to learn about history and US government facts.
I used to get most of mine from Twitter too! I've had to just subscribe to newspapers now and I listen to a few podcasts Like the Post Reports
BBC
New York Times on my phone
Underthedesknews on IG, and Jessica Yellin, NPR, local newspaper chains and local news channels.
I love The Skimm, Jessica Yellin, and listening to NPR in the car!
Podcasts!! NYT The Daily, Rachel Maddow (when she’s on) and Seth Myers to get a comic twist on daily dread.
I’ve had a similar experience with Twitter. I still scroll but I also read The NY Times daily, Washington Post a few times/week and listen to some news-related podcasts like Pod Save America, Hysteria (my fav!), and the Ezra Klein show. I also get a few current events-y Substacks including Slow Boring and The Message Box.
Try NPR National Public Radio. They highlight major international events. So far it’s the only news station I have found on the car radio but reception is very poor here in Palm Beach county. The 11 o’clock news on your local TV station. Or stream CNN.
I subscribe to the NYT, WSJ and the Boston Globe (my city) and check there top news sections a few times a day.
The NYT’s The Morning email newsletter is great. They do a deeper summary of one big story that helps me learn fast and then you get a mix of other interesting headlines. 1440 that others mentioned is also a good, quick read to get the important headlines with less ‘here’s why we think this is important.’
I generally avoid News through social media unless I’m intentionally wanting to see what the feedback looks like. I just have found it all designed around eliciting an emotional response from people and when you actually read the full articles you realize the story being discussed is almost always more nuanced than the online debate makes it seem and actually not that important . That Twitter outrage cycle you described is a huge turn off for me and newspapers like the Washington Post have that same vibe on Instagram.
I follow a bunch of my news sources on IG and they’re definitely less reliable for being informed of big news than just using the notifications from their mobile apps.
TV news is a huge no for me. I used to love NPR when I was in the car more but now I mostly listen to podcasts that explain news events more. I like Ezra Klein, Bari Weiss and Freakonomics.
I left Twitter. I’ve actually started watching the news again. Also following a few journalists and news outlets on ig or fb.
I love UnderTheDeskNews on IG and also follow The Washington Post, SharonSaysSo and RideTheNews on IG as well as reading the NYT morning email. Too many sources and it gets overwhelming, but those produce a good overview for me.
I get Katie Courics’s daily email with all the news and all the other things you could want.
I listen to the Daily every morning. I get several email newsletters - NYT "The Morning", Katie Couric. I still get cable and flip through the morning shows, partly to get the local weather, but also b/c I like to see what their tops stories are. Mostly Today Show, with stops at CBS This Morning. I also go to the NYT app numerous times a day. And CNN is on all day at work.
I knew about these things (trusted sources on FB mostly) but you’ve been so good about posting things you were moved by that I assumed it was a choice. I was thinking, however, about messaging if you are Team Selena, however. Seriously. But I wasn’t sure if you’d be interested in that drama.
I think this has been said a bunch but I follow moshe, sharonsayson, and jessica yellin. I think that I am very well informed in the way that you are saying you used to feel. I also follow brian derrick and emily in your phone for more progressive partisan info. This is all on instagram.
Mosheh and Sharon Sats so on Instagram. I will also skim through Apple News, and also check out Under the news Desk ( also Instagram)
I moved to The Guardian and WaPo instead of NYT due to the anti trans opinion pieces lately in NYT. Acknowledging that WaPo ownership is problematic in different ways.
I've been watching the PBS NewsHour literally since it was the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour when I was in high school. I usually stream it while I'm cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. They do a pretty good job covering need-to-know national stories. But there are days when I need a break from the news so I skip it.
I follow News not Noise and Mo News on Instagram. NNN is briefer in the info on their stories, but Mo News has in depth reporting if you really want to dig into something.
Like many others have suggested, I get Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter and podcast. On Insta I keep up with SharonSaysSo, Mosheh, and JessicaYellin. On FB I follow NPR, my local news, and other pubs like the Atlantic and The Hill.
SmartHer News on IG. In the morning when I’m getting ready(if I’m home during the day it’s on too) I have the news on the tv, so I listen but I’m not intently watching.
IG! SharonSaysSo, EmilyInYourPhone, Mosheh are all great
Heather Cox Richardson!!
I have the Associated Press app on my phone & notifications turned on. Sometimes it pushes editorials but it does always push the breaking news stories. I live in Chicago so I also have NBC Chicago app with notifications turned on so it's another source of national "breaking" news (sometimes doubling up but at least I don't miss things!) plus the local breaking news alerts. I find I need the pushes vs. remembering to open the app & scan the headlines everyday.
Listen to your local NPR station :) all the good stuff without any vitriol
I used to be all news all the time. Since the whole takeover of Musk and the craziness of world I have to admit I have taken drastic step back. I keep eye on local news and will watch the Nightly News but that is the extent at this time.
I get emails several times per week from Tangle. I like it because they’re in-depth, smart, and include views from all sides. ReadTangle.com
My favorite follow for unbiased political/world news is Sharon McMahon on IG @sharonsaysso. It’s a great community!
I get a daily email with some of the top new stories from both CNN and a local newspaper. I think something along those lines is a good option and there's other places that offer something similar. I also pick up a bit from social media particularly Reddit. When I open a new Chrome tab on my phone, Google suggests some articles based on what I've looked at previously and I'll skim through to see if anything looks interesting.
I'm not as up on the news as I perhaps should be, but I only have so much time and energy. I've been a bit overwhelmed with life in general and I'm trying to get into a better place and more on top of things. The news is also so depressing often. So I'm just trying to keep up with the highlights of the biggest stories and dive deeper into the occasional thing that catches my interest.
I listen to UpFirst and The Daily (and occasionally Mo News Podcast), and have a number of news apps on my phone with notifications set up to push me headlines for free (this is the most effective in keeping me very up to date). I also have a NYT digital subscription and read it occasionally.
There is a 5 minute podcast called the 7 from the Washington post that I listen to most days. Also NYTimes scroll every day or two and The Daily podcast if I have more time.