Journalism has changed over the past few decades. In the digital world the rules are different. Recently, Revue conducted a study which found that people tend to follow individual journalists, rather than the publication. That made us think about all the incredible newsletters written by journalists or about news in general. Taking into account all of those factors, it’s no surprise there’s a long list of email digests that distribute news to so many in a very personal manner. We thought it’s only fitting we curate some of the best ones and share them with you!
Politico Playbook
Politico Playbook is a daily digest that aims to serve as an extensive, yet entertaining roundup of the best trending stories. The commentary provided with each story gives you a brief and engaging summary of what happened and why it’s relevant. When it comes to topics, politics tend to be discussed the most. Nevertheless, media is oftentimes part of the mix. If you’re on the go and want to catch up with what’s happening in the world, you can simply subscribe to their daily brief and read on!
The NiemanLab Daily Digest
The Nieman Journalism Lab is an organization created with the purpose of “figuring out” the future of journalism. The NiemanLab Daily Digest is all about bringing you important news that has to do with innovation in the industry. Their mission is to inspire journalists with good ideas and help already existing news organizations to survive. Every issue includes news on what’s new in the field and a section “What We’re Reading” which features all sorts of interesting materials on the same topic. NiemanLab’s newsletter is essential now more than ever considering the quickly shifting nature of journalism and growing thirst for quality content. In other words, an absolute must-read for all professionals or aspiring reporters who have taken upon themselves to share relevant stories with the rest of the world.
Muck Rack Daily
Twitter is the social media platform which is quite popular among journalists. That means, there’s plenty of things happening daily on there. The genius thing about this daily newsletter is that it’s a collection of journalism on Twitter. More specifically, it’s a “snapshot” of what journalists are reading, thinking and commenting on at the moment. Muck Rack is also known for its exceptional content for PR professionals. Trending stories and important news are placed in different categories, which makes it easier to simply head over to the category you’re interested in. Also, each issue is written in an informative and engaging manner with a bit of humor here and there. Also, make sure to check out the Watercooler fragment at the end of each issue, where you get to deliberate on “the question of the day” and read about yesterday’s subject.
NextDraft
Dave Pell is a modern-day news hero. Every morning he goes through approximately 75 websites (so you don’t have to) and picks out the 10 most relevant and intriguing stories of the day. He successfully zones out the loud noise of the information overload that could easily interfere with any mortal’s ability to decide what is worth knowing and talking about. That’s why each morning Dave’s name pops up in the inboxes of so many. Rest assured that after reading NextDraft, you will be well informed about what is happening around the globe and pleasantly amused on top of that. One of the best things about his digest is his subtle, yet cheeky humor that will make you chuckle regardless of what the news is. I feel like Phil Bronstein’s description of NextDraft captures its essence best: “ Think of Dave Pell as the Internet’s managing editor. The NYT meets SNL. Smart, funny, essential.”
API’s Need To Know
The American Press Institute has a long standing reputation for providing people with tools, information and research to help with their efforts of advancing journalism. API’s Need To Know is the perfect way to start your day with a fresh batch of insights on where journalism is headed. Starting each issue with their “Off The Top” section, you get to learn about the most pressing topic of the day and read some additional sources about the story. Other exciting parts of the newsletter aim to give you useful tips on what you can “try at home” and loads of other articles with added commentary, which offer perfect points for debate or will simply serve you as food for thought.
The Daily Water Cooler
Everyone loves a good laugh, right? Well, this newsletter provides you with a daily portion of the most interesting news in business, politics, culture, garnished with a side of super cool facts at the end. News pieces are divided in bite-sized sections and the overall flow is straight to the point, but quite engaging nevertheless. Staying up to date on the latest stories,which are explained with a pinch of humor will definitely make your day. At the bottom of each issue you can find some shareable links which can teach you something new or will entertain you in the least.
Axios AM: Mike’s Top 10
Axios AM is an early morning guide to all vital news in business, politics, tech and media. Mike Allen sets out each day to curate a list of relevant trending stories from the different fields and includes insightful commentary, links and visuals. Great thing about this digest is that it really is an extensive overview of what you need to know and why you need to know it in a very structured manner. The choice of what to read in the moment and what to save for later is yours. Getting informed has never been so efficient, illuminating or shareable, for that matter.
Steve’s In The Know
Steve O’ Hear is an experienced and dedicated journalist predominantly covering the tech industry. He opens each issue of his digest with a relevant topic and something for you to ponder upon. His weekly email also contains a part dedicated to the latest pieces he wrote that same week. That way you won’t ever miss a piece he published. The cherry on top is his closing thoughts section, which completes the whole digest perfectly. What makes his weekly email so great are the personal stories and lessons Steve shares with the readers in addition to the useful info about the world of tech. This special, down to earth style of curation is what leaves his audience impatient for the next issue to come out.
WTF Just Happened Today
A very unique concept for a daily update of what’s happening and a very spot on title for it, given how crazy things can get these days. Matt Kiser makes sure that you receive a concise daily report of the most important events from the intense world of politics. Every piece of news is described with a single sentence, which pretty much summarizes the gist of it all. Next to it there’s a link, where you can read the whole story in detail. If you’re not into text heavy email digests, then WTF Just Happened Today is definitely worth taking a look at.
Sunday New York Times Digest
Every Sunday Matt Thomas curates a list of articles from The New York Times he found riveting. Each piece has a brief summary and commentary by Matt underneath, which enables you to choose whether you want to read the whole story or not. The topics that Matt touches upon vary from business to politics to culture and whatever else comes to mind. Inside, you can also find fascinating sources on history, environment or life in general. This is truly the perfect Sunday read!
➤ And don’t forget to sign up for TNW’s newsletter! It’s pretty good too.
This personal newsletter digest is curated by Revue, a newsletter service that recently launched Discover, a highly curated directory of personal newsletters. Check out the previous editions, a list of newsletters by women for women, and a list of creative newsletters by designers here.
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