13 Ways to Navigate the News —For Accuracy and Sanity
With all of the bad news that’s been served up in 2020, it can be seriously overwhelming trying to stay up to date with accurate info...without going crazy! And if you, like us, have been feeling burnt out from reading news, you’re not alone.
A recent data analytics report in the US found that people were spending 215% more time reading news online at the beginning of COVID than the previous year. Another study found that 7 out of 10 Canadian millennials get their news from social media, but less than 4 out of 10 trust the news to be true. Hello #fakenews.
Clearly the way we’re consuming news has changed and it's more important than ever to be mindful about the types and sources of news you’re consuming. So we did our research on 13 ways to make better decisions when it comes to accuracy and diversity in the news you’re consuming, and how to do it in a way that won’t impact your mental health.
Read beyond the headlines (and beyond the tweets). It’s okay to find out your “breaking news” on twitter, but try to then educate yourself beyond that tweet so you have all the context.
Take responsibility in fact-checking the news that matters to you. While most outlets do their own fact-checking, human error and bias can affect the accuracy of any reporting, so check important stories against multiple sources. Snopes.com is a great fact-checking resource!
Look at multiple sources. Diversity of thought is so important when it comes to getting an accurate depiction of current events. Avoid confirmation bias and read different points of view to ensure you’re not consuming your news in a vacuum, with one publication and one opinion. Just like how walking on the other side of the street now and then changes your perspective, different points of view make you more perceptive and able to discern fact from fiction.
Understand biases exist in every media outlet. Educate yourself on which side your go-to publications skew, and how politically-driven their reporting is by googling the Media Bias Chart, or searching outlets through Media Bias Factcheck: https://mediabiasfactcheck.com
Look to outlets that are explanatory rather than reactionary. Breaking news won’t have the nuance, context and accuracy that reported explainer pieces do, which tend to take a step back and thoughtfully explain many sides to an issue. Some great examples of publications and news channels that do this are VOX, Refinery29, The Skimm, Flare’s Explainer series, and Maclean’s.
Don’t share stories on any platform if you haven’t read them or vetted the source. Think about why you’re sharing this piece of news. Are you doing it to get attention, share some knowledge, or persuade? If the latter, there’s probably a better way you can do this without clogging people’s feeds.
Consume news in a way that works with your lifestyle. If you (like most millennials) prefer getting important stories delivered straight to your Inbox so you don’t have to sift through websites and social feeds, sign up for enewsletters for a tailored overview of important news from trusted sources. Try a newsletter like The Skimm.
Not a reader? Try podcasts. We love New York Times The Daily, Today Explained or The Big Story.
Visual learner? Check out outlets that produce explainer videos like Vice and Vox.
Spend all your waking hours on Instagram? Follow: Shit You Should Care About, The Slacktivists, and Now This News.
Striking a balance for your mental health is just as important as loading up on accurate news. A recent Times article shared a study that showed more than half of Americans say the news causes them stress, anxiety, fatigue or sleep loss. And if you’re burning yourself out and in a bad mental state because of news consumption, you won’t have any energy left to take action, function in society and serve your community.
Here are some helpful tips to protect your mental health while still staying up to date with what’s going on in the world (spoiler: there’s a lot going on).
Monitor your time. If you find you’re getting more and more anxious after reading/watching/listening to news, try reducing the amount of minutes you consume on a daily or weekly basis, and get really intentional about the time you devote to news consumption.
Have a self-care ritual after reading upsetting news. Unsettling news can spiral you into a horrible mental space, and it’s important to have self-soothing routines to help pull you out of the dark place. Go for a walk, make a cup of tea, do some mind-clearing yoga, watch a funny show...just do something that can help you unwind.
Not before bed. Do not, we repeat, DO NOT, consume news right before bed. End of discussion.
Follow good news outlets, too. Remember there’s still good in the world even though the news cycle thrives off of bad news. Make sure you’re balancing the hard-hitting news with positive sources of light and levity. Check out Good News Movement and Tank’s Good News.
Set alerts. Turn on alerts for the outlets and political experts that matter to you during important time periods to help you sift through the news clutter.
Consume your local news. When it comes to staying up to date on important issues like COVID, focus more on your local government’s announcements that impact you directly. Watch press conferences from your local experts and representatives so you can hear updates straight from the source, before outlets editorialize the info.
We hope that these tips help you stay informed and navigate the hectic news we’re surrounded by these days responsibly and healthily.