As any PR pro knows, staying plugged in to the news is a must. Everything from world headlines to national stories, tech trends, pop culture, and whatever’s trending day-to-day on social media – staying ‘in the know’ helps us be creative and gives us an edge when pitching fresh, new angles to reporters.
That’s great, but who has the time, patience and attention span to absorb everything going on in the world in, I don’t know, the three-and-a-half minutes it takes to gulp down your morning Starbucks? Thanks to Twitter, smart headlines paired with a click-if-you-want-to-but-you-really-don’t-have-to-because-we-just-gave-you-the-gist link have made skimming an acceptable way to digest current events. But in the world of public relations, you probably want just a little bit more context, wit, and pizazz…
That’s why this PR girl gets her morning news fix from TheSkimm, a daily enewsletter with 500,000 subscribers and counting. Hitting all the top headlines of the day, TheSkimm shares only the need-to-know details and players with an edgy, sarcastic twist. And, as a testament to the founders’ punchy, concise writing, there’s no obligatory ‘read more’ link after each story – what you see is what you get (and in this case, all you need to stay on top of things).
I know, I know, you already have a million-and-one outlets you monitor daily – who has time for another? Any smart and savvy PR pro worth her salt – that’s who! Need another reason? I’ll give you 3:
- The news today (especially abroad) is pretty rough. TheSkimm makes it bearable.
- When everyone’s talking Fantasy Football, or something else that makes your eyes glaze over, rely on TheSkimm for the basics that will help you impress that client going on about his bracket.
- TheSkimm was made for email (and boasts a 45% open rate!) but rocks social media, too. Follow them for the news and be inspired by their solid social strategy.
So, how do you stay on top of the news?