Riddle Me This: Making Sense of Current Affairs
Let’s talk about the minefield that is current affairs. The abundance of news, reports, announcements, updates and leaks that never stops flowing; it is impossible to estimate how frequently ‘news’ is published, but media outlets are certainly never short of a story.
Due to the sheer volume of information, following the news can be extremely overwhelming and I know many people who have chosen to avoid current affairs as a result.
There are numerous reasons why people decide not to follow the news. Often, people find the language used by news outlets to be inaccessible and difficult to understand. Pair this with a complex topic, and an article becomes impossible to decipher.
Additionally, the public may find the content of the news too negative, damning and woeful. This is entirely understandable. As the saying goes, bad news travels fast and, more importantly, bad news sells.
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If you can relate to these overwhelming and despondent emotions, here are some tips, tricks and resources which may help you to make sense of current affairs.
1. Social Media Whizz
Social media has its flaws, that is an undeniable fact. It can, however, be put to good use.
For those of you on Instagram, many accounts are purpose-built for delivering short and snappy news headlines. One of my favourites is Simple Politics. This account uses short, easy-to-read language and provides a sufficient amount of information. They are also very transparent, a welcome quality within the media industry.
Another recommendation is to utilise your Twitter feed; there are many journalists and commentators on Twitter offering insights into headlines and reports. It’s important to be aware of their possible bias, and avoid taking information as verbatim, but this is a great way to learn pockets of information.
2. Hear Me Out
Podcasts are incredibly easy to listen to, they make the perfect company for a walk, run or commute into work. Wherever you listen to your podcasts, you’ll be able to find an educational/news category.
Have a browse through this list and see what works for you! Perhaps it is a lighthearted podcast, combining current affairs and comedy, or perhaps you prefer a strictly factual piece. You are sure to find something suited to you!
My personal favourites include BBC Women’s Hour, for a lengthy and discursive vibe, or The Telegraph’s Two-Minute Briefing for a quick update.
3. Getting tech-y
Coming from someone who is not technologically inclined, you can definitely utilise your devices to help you manage current affairs. We really do have information at our fingertips, and you can make it even easier to receive it! Here are a couple of examples:
• Rig up your Google Home, Amazon Echo (or other variation) to run you through the latest news updates each morning or evening.
• If you have a news application on your phone or tablet, allow the app to send you notifications. I would recommend the BBC News app, which makes a dramatic sound for ‘Breaking News’ announcements!
4. Searching for Positive News
For those who find current affairs too negative, begin to search for positive news! Trust me, it really is out there. By focusing on the positive, you are still staying up to date with affairs, whilst removing the negativity of mainstream media outlets.
I suggest perusing the Happy Newspaper for this; you can receive Newsletter via email or simply stay up-to-date by following their Instagram account. Here’s just a little happy snippet:
I hope that one or more of these recommendations appear useful and you now feel slightly more able to make sense of current affairs! Just know, you’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed. We all have to start from somewhere.
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Written by Chelsea Peel
