Email Alerts: An Easy Way to Stay Up To Date

By Madison Feller

Wikimedia Commons image from user RRZEicons

Now that it's officially summer, we're sure that you're all knee-high in summer internships, online courses and Netflix shows. With everything going on during these few months, it can be hard to keep up with our friends and family, let alone what's going on in the world.


As students and journalists, it's vital to stay up-to-date on local and national current events, but it can be hard to do everything during your half-hour lunch break. Especially if you also have a list of five different long-form pieces that you've been meaning to finish...




One of the best ways to supplement your daily news reading is by signing up for an email subscription. Since a lot of us check our phones first thing in the morning anyway, it's a great way to start the day with a roundup of news sent right to your inbox. Here are just a few sites that will help you stay informed:

1. theSkimm

Witty and concise, theSkimm breaks down current events in one enjoyable morning email. The two creators, who used to be producers for NBC News, cover all topics — giving you the basics on everything from Iraq to the World Cup. While it is just, literally, a skim of the news, theSkimm will give you a funny overview of what's important and what headlines on your Twitter feed you should actually be clicking.

2. Politico

For all of you politically-minded journalists out there, why aren't you already signed up for Politico's email alerts? There are five different alerts to choose from, so you can decide whether you want to receive breaking news, the six most popular stories from the past 24 hours or even the latest happenings from Capitol Hill. If you're feeling really ambitious, sign up for all five and be certain you're staying up-to-date with everything going on in Washington.


3. The Ann Friedman weekly

While this newsletter only comes on Fridays, it is hands down my favorite thing to show up in my inbox every week. J-school alum Ann Friedman puts together a quick list of everything she's written and has been reading that week. Her reading selections span numerous publications, including New York Magazine, Slate, BuzzFeed, New Republic and The Paris Review, so you're sure you're getting a wide variety of content. She also always includes a GIF and some sort of hilarious remark so you'll always receive your news on Fridays with a smile.

4. TED

We all love watching TED talks in our spare time, but did you know you can sign up to get a daily or weekly dose of TED inspiration sent right to your inbox? While not exactly current events, TED still gives you a heaping of new ideas and definitely gets your brain moving. The weekly email is especially awesome in that it gives a talk of the week, a playlist of the week, additional suggested videos to check out and more.


So, if you find that your daily routine of checking The New York Times, The Columbia Missourian and The Columbia Tribune (we know you've been doing it ever since your days of J2100 current events quizzes) is falling by the wayside, consider signing up for one of these email newsletters. And if you have a particular newsletter you absolutely love, feel free to comment and tell us about it!