8 ways (better than Facebook) to stay informed on a budget

In my unscientific polling, friends most often cite Facebook, TikTok or YouTube Shorts as their main source for daily “news.” I can’t think of a single person (outside my household) under 50 who pays for an actual newspaper or magazine subscription — even a digital one. As a former journalist, this fact is heartbreaking. But as someone who wants my daughter to grow up in a democracy, it’s even worse.

Fake news is free. Loads of hate speech and made-up nonsense is weaponized to spread like wildfire online. Meanwhile, fact-based information — quality journalism, scientific studies, etc. — is hard to access without paying for a subscription. In a perfect world, real journalism would be a well-funded nonprofit enterprise, and free-to-read, fact-based stories would inform all voters. I firmly believe a major downfall of our democracy right now is that citizens are duped by online garbage and aren’t getting exposed to fact-based reporting.

Journalism paywalls are hurting democracy. But quality news gathering is expensive, and it’s important we don’t lose any more journalism outlets that are legitimately trying make us better informed! According to the American Journalism Project, more than 60 percent of all journalism jobs have been lost, and more than 2,000 newspapers have closed as the industry struggles to survive. Facebook and Google now monopolize online advertising, which was the funding source for expensive news gathering. Until some benevolent genius figures out a more sustainable way to support journalism (truth-based news access through your internet service, your morning coffee run or streaming subscription?) here are a few ways to stay informed on a budget:

1. Sign up for free journalism eNewsletters. Most major journalism outlets offer an eNewsletter. Publishers make a little money selling ads at the bottom of these free emailed newsletters, and consumers get real news without having to shell out grocery money to find out what’s going on in the world! There are tons to choose from, but the New York Times’ “The Morning” to the Washington Post’s “The 7” are great quick reads.

2. Libby offers FREE access to ebooks, magazines and more on your smartphone! The free Libby app is a fantastic thing for readers and anyone who is curious about the world. Enjoy free access to ebooks, digital audiobooks and magazines from anywhere via your local library with this app. All you need is a library card, the number for which you enter onto your digital app, and then you can read as many library books and magazines as your schedule allows!

3. BlueSky is the new Twitter. Make it your headline service! Since Elon flooded Twitter with hate speech and fired fact checkers, a new social media standout has emerged: BlueSky Create your account, then follow reliable journalists, news outlets and experts who are held to professional publishing standards, and you’ll soon have a fact-based news thread that takes just minutes a day to read. The trick here is not to end up doomscrolling away your day.

4. Explore Apple News on your iPhone. If you have an iPhone, you can read select stories from Apple News (featuring popular stories of the day from the New York Times and many major news outlets) for free. You can also subscribe to Apple News +, which gives you access to literally hundreds of magazines and leading newspapers for $10 per month.

5. Ask Alexa: “What’s the news?” I’ve probably gotten too comfortable with “Alexa,” the Amazon Prime smart speaker (a digital assistant and total spy device). Every morning, I ask Alexa for the day’s weather forecast and the news, provided by National Public Radio. It’s a quick, easy way to stay informed. The same is true of Google Nest Hub, which plays Reuters TV or NPR when asked. It’s a great way to get parents/grandparents to start listening to a quick fact-based news update throughout the day.

6. Listen to late-night monologues. Bring Jimmy Kimmel’s or Stephen Colbert’s monologue up on YouTube, and in five minutes, you’ll be more informed than if you’d spent an hour on Facebook! You may also laugh. Don’t forget Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart and John Oliver. To see the highlights, visit the Guardian’s Late-night TV roundup.

7. If you’re able, support one news outlet with a digital subscription. Think of it as a contribution to democracy. Until your internet browser or Starbucks comes with a free news subscription, we’re all on the hook for trying to keep journalism (and therefore democracy) alive. If you can’t do this, at least verify you’re sending fact-based stories before you share stuff online.

8. Listen to fact-based podcasts. The New York Times’ “The Daily,” is one way to stay up-to-date on the latest fact-based news. If you don’t mind a little profanity, you might try listening to President Obama’s whip-smart former speechwriters on “Pod Save America.” You should also find a local politics podcast to know what’s at stake in your state, such as the Arizona Republic’s “The Gaggle” podcast. There’s a podcast for everyone on every subject, but not all podcasts are created equal. Try to stick with fact-based journalism podcasts if you want to stay informed.

9. Support a local nonprofit newsroom. Nonprofit newspapers are popping up around the country, with grants from groups such as the American Journalism Project that partners with communities to launch new organizations and coaches leaders to grow and sustain their newsrooms. You can find more nonprofit news pros at statesnewsroom.com.

10. Follow the science. There may be less resistance from your fact-challenged friends to reading publications that offer science-based health news — because, let’s face it, we all pay more attention to health-related scientific breakthroughs after 50 — or tech-based reporting. Subscribe to Scientific American, Wired, Live Science and more.

Selection of the major American online newspaper web sites.

Poynter: Democracy dies behind a paywall. The nonprofit that works to strengthen journalism urges newsrooms to keep election stories free for all citizens.

Seattle Times: Nonprofit newspapers might be one path to sustainability. In the past few years, two major newspapers — The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Salt Lake Tribune — have gone nonprofit. The industry is watching them with interest.