May 1, 2015

In focus: Staying Informed On-The-Go

By: AF Editors

infocus2I spend most of my week engaged in the private sector, where I am able to see the effects of public policy on commerce and everyday life. However, my day-to-day business life rarely involves a public policy discussion. I learned quickly after college that continuing your intellectual development and staying informed is your own responsibility. However, with work to do and places to go, it is often hard to find the time to sit down and digest all of the latest news and policy developments.

Here are a few tips for staying informed on-the-go:

 

  1. The left column on the front of the Wall Street Journal

While you’re waiting on line at Starbucks in the morning, pick up a copy of the Wall Street Journal and take a look at the left column. These quick blurbs provide a great summary of the most important news you’ll need to know for the day.

  1.   The Economist

Besides The Economist‘s well deserved reputation as a first rate source of news and commentary, it is also pithy and easily accessible. Typically on Saturdays (when you can usually get the latest issue in newsstands), I’ll take a look at “The World This Week” – two or so pages in the front of the issue that has summaries of the most important political, business and cultural news throughout the world in the past week.

The first sections of the paper provide short articles (which are then elaborated on in the back of the issue), which will make for great, insightful reading throughout your week. Choose a five minute subway ride to get an article or two in.

  1. Twitter Lists

A few years ago I created an aggregate list of all my news sources on Twitter, and I have been using it ever since. Compiled of about twenty or so wide ranging sources – from ESPN and IMDB to The New York Times and Fast Company, a few scrolls throughout the day keep me up to date with developments or interesting articles that I’ll mark to read later.

You can go further, and create lists organized by topic and even author, but I prefer a large list that has the capability of surprising you.

  1. AM Radio

If you spend a lot of time in your car, you surely have had moments of frustration flipping through channels to avoid commercials. AM radio – marked by a cracky, vintage audio quality – is a phenomenal resource. Bloomberg Radio is a personal favorite – a good mix of financial, business and political news. Talk radio can be hit or miss (too many commercials and callers), but certain shows – John Batchelor on WABC in New York, for example – provide excellent listens with distinguished guests discussing various topics.

  1. Sunday Morning Talk Shows

Even if you are fairly active on Sundays, chances are you usually have some time to yourself, likely in the morning. Enjoying breakfast with one of the Sunday TV talk shows is a great way to start Sunday. They have a great mix of commentary and news, and, like most of the sources in this list, they provide a good overall survey of current events. If you happen to be driving in the tri-state area on a Sunday afternoon, Bloomberg radio (see above) replays the audio of all the major Sunday talk shows throughout the day.


These are just a few tips. The best method to stay informed, and to stay in critical thinking mode, is to always look for the connections in things. Whether you’re waiting on line for lunch or watching a game with friends, always stay observant to the world around you. Never miss a chance to stay engaged!

 

Gregory J. Fitton is online director at America’s Future.