How to Become a News Junkie

The road to becoming a news junkie is simple, thanks to our well-rounded combination of age-old news sources and technological advances. News is quite literally at your fingertips; all you have to do is reach out and grab it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Subscribe to as many print newspapers as you can afford. Have your local paper delivered, as well as national papers such as The New York Times, USA Today or the Wall Street Journal. Most newspapers also offer online subscriptions with the very same information. Online subscriptions save paper and may be cheaper.
2. Order a couple of news magazines for home delivery. News magazines, such as Newsweek, Time or U.S. News & World Report offer broad coverage of local and world news. News magazines are also good at breaking down tough topics into layman's terms and easy-to-read articles.
3. Listen to the radio. News radio is a long-time medium for delivering local, state, national and world news. In particular, A.M. stations offer news programs and talk-radio shows that discuss news issues in depth. However, be cautious when listening to talk radio. It is primarily composed of DJs with opinions on news rather than balanced coverage of the facts.
4. Watch your television. Many Americans are tuning out regular TV now that we have TiVo and DVR. News junkies can't afford to do this. Hundreds of channels broadcast multiple genres of news. World news is generally more available on television. Local news is a necessity for a news lover; you'll just have to look beyond the cheesy set design and overly enthusiastic anchors.
5. Sign up for blogs. This is probably the most important step in becoming a true news junkie. Blogs are rampant on the Internet, some more trustworthy and news-filled than others. Pick your blogs carefully. It's a good idea to start by subscribing to a few well-respected, high-profile blogs and then continue by working your way toward the specific types of news in which you are most interested.
6. Open all your senses. A news junkie is like a highly absorbent paper towel. Take in as much as you can in a day. Multi-task to consume more news. For example, watch CNN at the gym or listen to news radio on your commute to work.

Tips & Warnings

• World and local news are not the only types of information. Music, financial, literary, political, entertainment and health are all legitimate news genres.
• Reading all the news in the world doesn't necessarily mean you are getting the truth. News journalism (of all kinds) strives to be as unbiased, honest and straightforward as possible, but this does not happen 100 percent of the time.