Bushfires, floods, a global pandemic, and now nationwide protests!
With so much happening in the world, it’s hard to turn away from the latest update or news headline. In actual fact, media and news consumption has been on the rise for some time.
So much for the alleged ‘slow death of journalism’.
The way people are consuming their news has certainly evolved thanks to a variety of channels and platforms. Gone are the days when you picked up a printed newspaper from a newsagent or shopfront; now you don’t even need to leave the couch.
The 24/7 news cycle and the increasingly demanding lives many of us lead has made it understandably difficult to stay up to date with the latest news. News outlets understand this and are leveraging every platform available to them to keep you informed.
If it’s not something you’re already doing, reading the news provides a range of benefits. It will help you stay updated on current affairs and, perhaps more importantly, across the industries you operate in.
Here are three easy and effective ways to stay current with the news.
News apps
With the mobile phone now an extension of the self, most news outlets have translated their content onto apps which can be downloaded straight from the Apple store or Google Play store, meaning the news is now within arm’s reach. Forget buying a newspaper or waiting for the top of the hour to hear a radio news bulletin. Instead, you can now scroll through stories like you scroll through your Facebook news feed.
The capabilities of apps have vastly increased the shareability of stories. Whether it’s business or personal, news can now be shared as quickly as a text message, so you can help those around you stay across news relevant for them.
News alerts
So, you’ve downloaded your favourite news apps, but you may only check them once or twice a day. Like any app, most news apps have notification settings which allow you to set up alerts for the latest headlines, industry- or sector-specific news, and key news updates.
When activated, instant notifications will keep you informed throughout the day with the top-rated stories and news of highest relevance to you.
Social media and news bots
Most of us spend more time on social media than we do reading the news – but, why not draw on the ancient wisdom of Old El Paso, “porque no los dos?” (why don’t we have both?). Every reputable news platform (and even the less credible ones), have some kind of social media presence, and most now extend beyond Twitter. This means whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, even Tik Tok or Snapchat, you can access the news at the same time, in an easy, digestible way.
Some outlets have gone a step further, developing news bots which, when subscribed to, will send you news updates in much the same way as news notifications, straight to your preferred messaging platform. Some great ones to check out include the ABC or The Australian.
As with all three of these solutions, it’s easy to just follow outlets which deliver confirmation bias. I’d recommend following a range of outlets which both support and challenge your thinking on topical issues and current affairs. Either way, your social media feed will quickly transform into a curated amalgamation of social and news content.
Elevate’s team of experienced public relations practitioners are voracious consumers of media and news. We know the media landscape and understand how to craft a story to make it newsworthy.
We want to help you tell your story and position it in front of the people who matter most to you. Get in touch with us today to find out more.
