In our vast, globally-connected world it is impossible to stay up to date on all of the news, so how do you choose what to focus on? And, when you decide, how do you find it? Everyone’s opinion is going to be different, but here is an easy formula to help.

1. Find a creditable, general news source that will give you an overview of the big stories. “The New York Times Now” app is a good option. You do not need a subscription to The New York Times to use the app. The app gives one to two sentence summaries of the major stories throughout the day. It even has a function that will send you a “briefing” directly to your email. Alerts for breaking news can be turned on as well. This app is a simple effective way to make sure you do not miss any major story.
2. Find a smaller, local news-source for your area. You can either subscribe to your local newspaper, or, staying with the digital track, find another app. A good option, if you have a mobile apple device, is the new “News” app. This app allows you to select things you are interested in. If you select your area’s newspapers, magazines, etc. this can become a personalized news app for your hometown.
3. Find more stories for your particular interest or work field. Depending on your job this can be more or less important. You can use the apple “News” app for this also; you can subscribe to a journal in the field you are interested in, or you can bookmark a credible website. This section is good to browse through when you have free time.

It is important to remember to be intentional when reading the news. Open a news app or newspaper with an idea of what you want to catch up on. It is easy to become distracted by small news stories and never read the important articles.

Especially with the election year coming up, it is imperative to be knowledgeable on a breath of news subjects. Hopefully this guide will help you quickly and effectively manage the task.