How to Stay Up to Date with the News

Bushfires, coronavirus, economic crisis, global protests – 2020 has been a big year in world events, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon. To further complicate things, there have never been more sources of news and current affairs for us to access in our everyday lives: online, in print, on the television and radio. There have also never been more sources of ‘fake news’, conspiracy theories and misinformation online, which makes it all the more important for you to consume news from a range of reputable sources.

Here are some of the top tips for developing good ‘media literacy’: how to access reliable media sources, think critically about what you consume, and even create your own media responsibly on social media.


Switch off social media

We’ve all been there: wake up, roll out of bed, check social media notifications on our phones then scroll through our feeds. But we know it’s not good for us – social media is designed to attract and keep our attention, so it’s full of distracting features, arguments and opinions that get us riled up but not engaged meaningfully, and posts that are fed through personal algorithms to reinforce our biases. One of the most useful things you can do is set clear limits on your social media use: for example, up to half an hour a day. The ‘Screen Time’ feature on iPhones is one way to stay disciplined.


Set a daily news routine

Carve out time in your day for reading, watching and listening to the news. This might be reading online news while you eat breakfast, or listening to podcasts on your commute to and from school. (You could seek out daily news podcasts that go in-depth on one news issue per day: for example, 7 am in Australia and the New York Times’ podcast The Daily.) That will help you stay engaged on a regular basis, and allow you to step away from the 24/7 news cycle. Something else that might be useful is sticking to one source: choose one newspaper’s website, for example, and read as much as you can top to bottom in your allotted news time, or watch one whole half-hour or hour news bulletin on TV.


Develop diverse news habits

You might have heard of the phrase ‘news diet’ before – to maintain a healthy diet, we need to have varied news from nutritional sources. Instead of mindless clickbait, seek out news that is well resourced and researched, and which makes you feel deeply informed and engaged with society. In Australia, the ABC is most consistently ranked as the most trusted news organisation, followed by Guardian Australia, News.com.au and the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age – all great places to start. Also think about consuming news from various levels: local news provides more context and nuance for what’s happening in your neighbourhood, and then there’s city/state news, and national and international news.


Read opinion pieces

Important: only do this once you’ve read the news itself! Too often, people skip reading news articles and are referred to opinion pieces by their social media feeds, which are filtered to reinforce their existing views. Reading op-ed pieces or watching panel debates on TV is a great way for you to learn how to make arguments by gathering evidence and framing it. But you’ll only be able to do this effectively yourself when you have detailed analysis and understanding from your own news diet.


Hone your media literacy skills

Which brings us to an important point: thinking critically about the media you consume. When you read a news article or watch a segment on TV, ask yourself: Who’s telling the story? What information is at the top of the story – seen to be most important – and what’s seen as less important? Which perspectives are included or excluded? Which views are investigated or fact-checked? What conclusions are drawn? This will help you to start forming your own well-informed opinions on current events.


Remind yourself why you’re staying up to date

The benefits of staying engaged with what’s happening in the world are endless. The social benefits: you’ll become a more well-rounded person with more general knowledge, which will put you in good stead for conversations in the playground, classroom and at home. On an intellectual level, you’ll become more curious and able to think critically, and there’s confidence that comes with being ‘in the know’ – watch as you become a better writer and public speaker. All of which is a great foundation for your adult life: your employability, your social life and beyond.


So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to get informed – and stay informed.