As this week’s print issue marks Student Life’s last staff editorial of the academic year, we would like to remind the WashU community to continue engaging with a variety of news publications. Though Student Life’s regular content will be on summer break, the news doesn’t stop, and it’s important to stay up to date with information from reliable sources.

According to a recent survey from Inside Higher Ed, most college students learn about current events from social media and word-of-mouth. While these mediums are accessible and convenient, they often lack the rigor, nuance, and journalistic standards followed by major publications. Consider following social media accounts of reliable news outlets, many of which supplement their written content with short-form videos on platforms like Instagram or Twitter.

While full access to respected news outlets is often locked behind paywalls, WashU Libraries offers students access to various ones, such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and a diverse database of local and global news outlets. Beyond these resources, Associated Press (AP), National Public Radio (NPR), and Politico are free news publications for those who create an account on their website. 

Once you build your repertoire of publications to read from, don’t forget to sprinkle in local news into your media diet. While understanding the news on a national level is important, it is just as important to see how those events are impacting your community. For instance, state-level elections can determine whether citizens of your state can access an abortion, or if they will serve lengthy prison sentences for possessing marijuana. These are issues that influence the lives of millions of Americans and are (best) covered by local media outlets. So, before you hop in the car, train, plane, or whatever form of transportation you prefer, consider glancing over the local news publications of the community you are spending time in this summer, including St. Louis.

If the process of integrating reading the news seems like an intimidating task, you can start small. The easiest way to begin is by subscribing to newsletters that offer the top stories of that day alongside brief overviews of the articles. Even though you aren’t reading the articles front to back, reading newsletters can offer enough context on current events to stay informed. 

Besides newsletters, there are other ways to consume the news without the classic print editions or websites. Podcasts are an easy way to stay informed on the latest news while on the go. Instead of listening to your “pink pilates princess” playlist on Spotify, switch up your morning commute by listening to NPR News Now, a five-minute summary of the latest news stories updated hourly. A more fun way to stay up to date on current events could be tuning into the Weekend Update hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che on Saturday Night Live. The Weekend Update presents serious current events through light-hearted parodies and skits so you can laugh — yes, laugh — while you listen to the news. 

Reading the news is essential for civic engagement, but consider setting boundaries for media consumption to protect your mental health. While headlines are crucial to following current events, they can quickly instill apathy and a sense of hopelessness in modern society. If you find yourself in a daily doom scroll of current events, consider checking in every other day, or twice a week. More than likely, the noise will clear, and you will see what topics are important as they tend to stick around despite the quick turnaround of news cycles. 

As a news organization, the Student Life editorial board sees the importance of staying engaged with the community via journalism and encourages our readers to subscribe to publications beyond our own. We hope these tips offer an easy access point for reading the news, and we can’t wait to get back to reporting on the WashU community come August. 

Staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of our editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff.

Sydney Tran, Editor-in-Chief

Riley Herron, Editor-in-Chief

Sylvie Richards, Managing Forum Editor

Amelia Raden, Senior Forum Editor

Dion Hines, Senior Forum Editor

Kate Theerman Rodriguez, Senior Forum Editor

River Alsalihi, Senior Forum Editor

William Fieni-Thies, Junior Forum Editor

Sophie Schwartz, Junior Scene Editors

Astrid Burns, Special Issues Editor

Ella Giere, Photo Editor

Matt Eisner, Managing Sports Editor

Hannah Much, Junior Sports Editor

Lewis Rand, Senior Sports Editor