How newsletters can offer enticing alternatives to traditional news consumption

By: Erica Carbajal

Before even opening your eyes for the day, your smart phone is already sparkling with news notifications. Well, maybe that’s just because I’m a journalism student, but you get the point. News never stops. From the time I wake up until it’s time for bed again, my day is constantly interrupted with intermittent news consumption. Watch a quick story here, read an article there, get back to work and repeat. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of headlines, and in the midst of a pandemic it’s even more overwhelming.

That’s why I wasn’t surprised by a Pew Research survey that found 66% of Americans, about two-thirds, feel overloaded with the amount of news there is.

Perhaps that explains why The New York Times has 14 million subscribers across 55 of its newsletters. Newsletters have become increasingly popular as they offer a concise, more personalized version of presenting the latest headlines. At a time when mental health experts are recommending that people reduce their news consumption to ease stress, newsletters might be their one stop shop throughout the day.

I’ll admit it. When there are days I’m overloaded with work or just feeling burnt out from all of the news because yes, even journalists can feel weighed down by the information overload, I’ll just read my newsletter roundups. These include CNN’s 5 Things morning edition, WBEZ’s The Rundown for some local round ups and the Quartz Daily Brief for some global economic updates.

Of course, I don’t get as much depth and breadth as when I normally sit down and browse through the articles of each newspaper that I normally read, but I at least step away feeling like I know the basics of the day’s top stories. It does the job so that I don’t fall behind completely, and when I come back the next day feeling refreshed and ready for my normal news intake process, I don’t feel lost.

Specialized newsletters are particularly convenient during rare events. During the impeachment proceedings last year, I looked forward to seeing the Impeachment Briefing newsletter from The New York Times in my inbox each morning. It caught me up to speed on who would be testifying that day and what was at stake. Now with COVID-19, top tier publications across the country have started newsletters focused on virus updates.

I think newsrooms recognize that many people, especially in midst of a crisis, do try to tune out when they can, so creating specialized newsletters is a responsible way for them to cater to this anxiety filled audience who chooses to limit their news consumption. It’s an opportunity for newsrooms to grow and reach an even larger audience.

Sure, the goal for newsrooms is that readers are clicking on some of the links within newsletters to read the full stories, but even if they’re not, that audience is still getting the gist of what’s happening. It gives them a personalized way to browse through news on their own time and read deeper where they choose to.

To an extent, newsletter emails also provide personalized content that help break up some of the hard news content. Yes, it’s important to be updated if you’re relying on newsletters to subscribe to a variety so that you’re getting an array of local, national and world news, but also just something fun that speaks to your interests. Since I’ve been cooking more than I ever imagined, I’ve come close to running out of ideas. My taste buds are sick of my usual meals. So, I recently signed up for the bon appétit recipes newsletter, and every morning I find new inspiration.

Community engagement is arguably more critical now than ever, and newsletters provide yet another away for community members to connect with journalists. They often include messages at the end encouraging readers to contact them, so it’s another opportunity for a community to ask for the news they need because as much as we try to understand the needs of our audience, there are always things we miss.

Next time you check your email, don’t scroll past that newsletter you forgot you signed up for months ago. Read it. It might encourage you to sign up for more.

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