By Lucy Walsh
As a PR student, I feel like the same piece of advice I sometimes hear over and over is “you have to become a news junkie!” While this is a great way to become a better communicator, more attuned to aspects of media relations and even a more informed citizen, this sometimes seems easier said than done. There’s so much information out there, and we all only have so many hours in the day and minutes we can spend scrolling! Here are my best tips for working smarter, not harder, to build some news junkie habits.
- Use the resources at your disposal, and remember your student discounts. First things first, check the library. A little known fact is that Belmont students have free digital access to a ton of periodicals through the Lila D. Bunch databases, so make sure to use the resources that you’re already paying for through your tuition! Also, any news site operating on a subscription based model most likely offers a discounted rate for college students if they sign up with their university email address, so keep that in mind as well.
- Find the format that’s right for you. You might not feel engaged reading print newspapers or sitting down to watch the evening news, and that’s okay! Be open to alternatives and test out what’s right for you. Two things I’ve picked up lately have been subscribing to newsletters like The Skimm and Morning Brew, which can deliver concise updates to your inbox every morning. Also, daily podcasts like “The Tennessean” and “The Daily” (produced by “The New York Times”) are easy to turn on when you’re driving or walking. Take some time and find your fit!
- Check your facts and check your bias. Do yourself a favor and make sure you’re reading both accurate information and diverse perspectives. This might mean taking a little extra time to confirm the information you’re reading, but I think we all can agree that accuracy beats efficiency every time. Use fact checking sources like Snopes, FactCheck.org and AP Fact Check to confirm that the info you’re reading is the best of the best. Meanwhile, make sure you’re looking at a mix of local, regional and national news, and try to seek out outlets that can represent multiple political, cultural and geographical points of views.
- Follow campus news. Make sure you’re reading up on our campus community! Follow accounts like @belmonttoday for daily news, and take some time to read stories from our student news organization the “Belmont Vision.” Most importantly, keep up to date with content from Belmont’s Office of Communications. Particularly during debate season and a time of COVID-19 precautions, campus communication is more important than ever! Take a look at their website, and open your weekly Bruin Breeze email as soon as it hits your inbox.
Keep these tips in mind and take the time to develop the daily habits that best fit your media needs. In no time you’ll become a tried and true news junkie, and you’ll be a better PR student and practitioner because of it!
Lucy Walsh is a senior public relations and publishing student from Evansville, Indiana. Alongside her duties as the editor of the PR at Belmont blog, she is an active executive board member of Belmont PRSSA and Belmont Ambassadors. She can typically be found listening to the full discography of Taylor Swift, walking Belmont Blvd. or writing snail mail to her friends and family.