Avoiding the News? 5 Alternative Ways to Keep Up With Current Affairs (2024)

Staying informed amidst the tide of current global events can feel overwhelming, yet it doesn't have to be a demanding task. If you want to stay up to speed but don't want to spend hours browsing in-depth coverage, here are five convenient and accessible ways to stay updated on current events.

1 Use the Flipboard App to Keep Up With the News

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Since its release in 2010, Flipboard has attracted thousands of information seekers by offering a free resource available on Android devices, iOS/iPadOS, desktops, and more. Think of Flipboard as your personal digital and social magazine, combining the functions of a news aggregator and a customized magazine app. This news aggregator is a convenient resource that gathers a diverse range of content from various sources such as well-known publishers, social media, local outlets, news feeds, and the community. With its vast array of sources and topics, Flipboard is great for browsing, reading, and sharing news, as well as liking, commenting, following members, and creating curated magazines of your own.

How Does Flipboard Work?

Flipboard is available on iOS or Android. To download the app on your device, follow four easy steps.

1. Download Flipboard: The Social Magazine app for Android or iOS.
2. Open Flipboard and choose three or more news topics that interest you.
3. Sign up with an email to create an account.
4. Select Allow or Don't Allow to set your preferred notifications.

On a Desktop or Laptop

1. Visit Flipboard.com.
2. Click on the red Sign up button in the top right-hand corner.
3. Create an account by typing in your preferred email address, name, and password of your choice.
4. Click continue and confirm your email.

After you create an account and log in, you can begin flipping through your personalized magazine for news updates.

2 Subscribe to Morning Brew's Email Newsletter

Morning Brew, a free daily email digest newsletter, was launched in 2015 by University of Michigan alumni Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief. By 2018, Morning Brew had reached one million subscribers; by 2022, it had surged to four million, continuing to grow steadily today. You'll find a good combination of headline news, market updates, politics, business stats, editorial articles, bullet-point features, and more, helping keep you in the current affairs loop.

How to Subscribe to Morning Brew

If Morning Brew piques your interest, subscribe to the daily email newsletter with four simple steps.

1. Visit Morningbrew.com/daily.
2. Locate the subscribe button in the top right-hand corner next to a paper airplane-like icon.
3. Enter your email address in the search bar and select the Try it button.
4. You will then be redirected to a page that will ask you a few quick questions. You can either answer the questions related to your name and occupation or hit the X in the top right-hand corner of the box.

Once you follow these steps, you're ready to enjoy your daily coffee with a side of Morning Brew's newsletter updates! If you're interested in finding more newsletters, there are additional email newsletters to explore.

3 Stay Updated On-the-Go With NPR's Up First Podcast

If you have a long morning commute to work or prefer listening to the news, the NPR Up First Podcast is an ideal choice to keep you informed about the latest global developments. The NPR Up First podcast is a news show presented in a podcast format that offers a concise ten-minute or longer summary of the day's top news stories.

These news stories cover a wide spectrum, including international affairs, business, politics, technology, and beyond. The Up First podcast is typically released around 6:30 a.m. EST Monday through Friday and around 9 a.m. on Saturdays. On Sundays, the Up First podcast offers The Sunday Story episodes to hear longer versions of the news headlines.

How to Listen to NPR's Up First Podcast

Here are three easy steps to begin listening to NPR's Up First podcast.

1. Visit the NPR's Up First Podcast Directory.
2. Scroll down to see the most recent episodes section.
3. Depending on your preference, you can select the listen (with the timestamp of each podcast episode located next to it), playlist, or download options.

If you wish to subscribe, you can also visit the Up First Podcast Directory homepage, select the sign-in icon, and create an account. The subscribe pop-up may also appear when you visit the website, and you can also subscribe there.

4 Enable SMS Alerts on News Services or Apps

You can also stay up to date with current affairs through news apps or outlet SMS alerts. News SMS alerts can cover a huge range of topics, including weather forecasts, appointment reminders, security alerts, and breaking news. SMS news notifications are particularly valuable because SMS alerts can operate reliably without needing Wi-Fi or a functional website, making them useful for unpredictable technological environments.

What News Services or Apps Provide SMS Alerts?

Here are some news services and apps that offer SMS alerts:

1. NPR
2. Reuters
3. Google News
4. The Weather Channel
5. Emergency Alert Systems
6. The Associated Press
7. BuzzFeed News
8. The Guardian
9. The National Geographic
10. Mashable

How Do I Set Up SMS Alerts?

While every service may be different, there are four general steps to setting up your SMS alerts on the news app(s) of your choice.

1. Visit or download whichever service/app you prefer (e.g., National Geographic, Google News).
2. Create an account or log in to your existing account.
3. Locate the section directing you to the settings, notifications (such as the notification preferences or notification types), and/or alerts.
4. Select the option to enable or disable SMS alerts.

While SMS alerts are primarily used for emergency or weather notifications, remember that they are available through various news services and apps to help you stay informed.

5 AI Voice Assistants

The last option isn't one I use all that often, but it's still an option. AI voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple's Siri, Google Assistant, and so on typically have integrated functions that connect to a news service.

• You can access Alexa through Amazon's Echo devices, the Alexa app from the App Store (on iOS) or the Google Play Store (on Android), third-party devices (such as TVs or other devices with Alexa built-in), or Fire TV devices. Using Alexa is simple, and there are heaps of other ways to use it.
• Siri is integrated into most Apple devices, so it can be accessed on most iOS, macOS, and watchOS devices. Setting up and using Siri is also simple.
• Google Assistant is installed on all Android devices, and can be installed on iOS/iPadOS devices, too.

In most cases, you can just ask the AI voice assistant to find the latest headlines and read them to you or connect to a specific news service to read from there.