Where do you get your news?
Still reading the morning paper in your pajamas over coffee? Do you grab your smartphone or tablet before you get out of bed to read the headlines of the day? Or, do you read from various devices at hand anytime you want?
Even if you are a die-hard “newsprint on your fingers” person, you have to admit that online news options are pretty incredible. And one of the great things about getting your news online is having so many choices.
How long ago was it when daily newspapers were your prime source of news. Then TV added another dimension. And now with online news, you can literally read, watch, hear, and interact with news across the world, not just in your own backyard. No waiting until the next edition of the paper or the next newscast. Today’s news is not only always available, but often it breaks as we watch.
Of course having so many news choices sometimes makes it overwhelming, but that’s why need to know your way around various online news sources.
Here are several resources I use (and like) that make my access to news much more interesting. I’ve provided the links so click away and give several of these resources a try. The first three are news aggregators, websites or apps that gather news from different sources and other websites. There are hundreds of news aggregators, some quirky, some bland, and some on the crazy side. You want the ones that work best for you.
1. Feedly is my go-to news aggregator, one app that works on my computer, tablet, and smartphone. Here I have all my news sources, blogs, magazines, and much more organized in one place. Feedly is highly regarded, easy to use, and works on most any operating system. Why else do I like it? I appreciate the timely content and the ease of adding new categories to read. One of my favorite features is that I can keep track of read and unread articles, no small issue given the volume of content that is generated. But start small—sign up for a Feedly account, add a handful of content sites you like to follow, like the New York Times or The Atlantic or anything else you are interested in and start reading. Here is a step-by-step guide to get you started.
2. Popurls is a new news aggregator that exists as a singly page, including summaries of the latest and most trending news stories on the internet. Offering news in such areas as Tech, Geek, Design, Business, Entertainment, Sports, and Politics, it is fully customizable, allowing you to decide what to read and how to read it. It presents large amounts of content in well-organized groups. The real value of Popurls is that it shows readers new stories and sites based on your previous reading preferences.
3. I just added AP Mobile to my smartphone, an app that works with both Android and iOS. I particularly like its original news content. The app lets me swipe through screens offering Top News, Sports, Featured stories, even a section that reports on stories local to your state and region, and much more. I can personalize this app to my own interests, adding or removing categories. While I haven’t used it enough yet to be sure, it appears to be for the serious news user. No lists of top 10 celebrity diets or crocodiles eating dogs or when the earth will end stories here. Serious news delivered in a readable fashion.
4. Who wouldn’t want to read newspapers from all over the world? That is exactly what onlinenewspapers.com offers, thousands of world newspapers (and magazines) at your fingertips. Divided into different sections of the world—Africa, Europe, Australia and Oceania, and more, links to newspapers are listed by region or city and listed by language. I’m trying to follow news from Zimbabwe since our family spent a week there last year and finding this resource has given me a number of papers to keep up with the news. Best thing is that these papers are much more specific (as well as more fun to read) than the typical news summaries I find from Africa sections of larger newspapers. Also, take a look at the online magazines covering a wealth of topics as well.
5. If you’ve read this far, you obviously have an interest in accessing news online. This article, is a nicely curated list of “The 10 best alternative news apps for iPhone, iPad and Android” with still more apps like the ones I described above. Each of these 10 apps has a different take on the news, how it is presented, and how it learns what kind of stories you’re interested in. Take a look at these excellent suggestions.
Here is the skinny…we know that more Americans are getting their news online. Fifty percent of the public now cites the internet as a main source for national and international news. Social media is growing as a source for news and more American adults consume news on their mobile device. Other trends to watch include—”grazing” as opposed to more complete reading and consumers who see more press bias and less integrity in online news.
But what about video news? Many choices there as well…but that is another post for another day.
What is your news source online? Newspapers, magazines, videos, blogs, or some combination of each of these?
Want to learn more about being a productive user of the Internet. See BoomerTECH Adventures’ Retreats and Workshops to learn more about harnessing online news sources or here to receive our newsletter with tips for boomers and seniors using technology…creatively and productively.
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