Where I get my news

A friend asked me this past weekend how I get my news. A good question, especially as what passes for “news” these days often seems to require girding our loins. My approach is twofold:

1. I read the news only two or three times per week. We need to re-evaluate our definition of “educated citizen”; depth beats drowning, and the firehose of our modern media helps no one. (A corollary to this is that I spend almost no time on social media these days, since their purposes are at odds with mine.)
2. I rely on a curated list of trusted journalists and writers who share links. Relying on these smart and opinionated people broadens what I otherwise would have read, while also helping me consume a digestible amount of news. Below is a partial version of this list, in case it’s helpful to anyone out there.

My curated list of trusted journalists and writers

I have plenty of other news sources (and you should, too!), but I treasure these newsletters/sites/RSS feeds that link out to other sites, shooting me off into so many other corners of the internet. Some I’ve read since the ’90s (👋 Jason), others have entered my feed this year — obviously the list lives and changes, but it’s a place to start. (* indicates a one-person operation, which always delights me.)

• Jason Kottke*: The original and greatest; multiple posts per day covering everything from culture and politics to science and society.
• The Morning News: Best daily roundup of straight news; includes truly esoteric sources alongside the expected NYT/Atlantic/Guardian players.
• Curious About Everything*: Monthly list of things to read on all topics; Jodi has a remarkable editorial voice, and almost every link is a treasure.
• The City Scoop: Best local news for New York City; daily roundup.
• Daring Fireball*: Multiple posts per day, ostensibly about Apple but really about technology, business, and design.
• Waxy.org*: Occasional posts about experimental media, the intersection of tech and law, and design.
• Laura Olin*: An occasional newsletter with art, culture, and poetry.
• After School*: Daily links about internet culture and youth culture.
• Today in Tabs*: Legendary daily collection of links about internet culture.
• Meanwhile*: On hiatus, but generally a weekly newsletter with great art and design links; Daniel is one of the best book designers working.
• Celine Nguyen*: Literature and poetry and books and all things written-word.
• Benedict Evans*: Business analysis and tech perspectives.
• Nothing for the Group*: Less of a news site, but a great connection to the independent theater world.