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Signing Up for Topical News Feeds

September 26, 2012
Jeffrey Grillo, Associate Director for Technical Services
Are you experiencing information overload when it comes to the daily news?  Are you tired of wading through expansive news websites to find articles of actual interest?  Would you rather spend your time focusing on the topics and issues that you care about?  Don’t despair.  There’s a simple solution.  Maximize your efforts to stay current while saving time.  Sign up for topical news feeds.
 
What is a topical news feed you ask?  Are you familiar with RSS feeds?  RSS feeds can be spotted quickly by looking for the following image when browsing a website:
 
Topical news feeds equate to news-related RSS feeds.  Let technology work for you.  All that you need to do is subscribe.  Browse your favorite news sites, create accounts, and look for their RSS feed service.  
 

Take the Wall Street Journal for example.  When on their main page, scroll to the bottom.  You will see a link to

under the heading “Tools & Formats.”  Click on the link, and you are on your way.  You will be presented with a myriad of options and the opportunity to customize the information that the site will disseminate to you.  The Wall Street Journal offers news and commentary, blogs, video, and podcasts…delivered directly to your computer, smart phone, or tablet.

WallStreetJournalScreenCapture.PNG

Choose broad categories, like World News or narrow topics, such as Personal Finance, when signing up for a topical news feed. 

News sites from Reuters to the BBC and CNN to NPR offer topical news feeds.  Even sites like Google and Yahoo offer similar services.  As news sites publish relevant content, you will receive the information in close to real-time.  Only the information that you want.  No more overload.  No more wading.  Only focusing on the topics and issues you care about.