How to keep up with the news without endless scrolling

Start with what you need to know

A feed can always offer another headline. Before opening one, decide what you want from this visit. A useful daily check might cover major Australian developments, one world story and something relevant to your work or community. It does not need to cover every topic.

Separate a general catch-up from a question you need answered. If you need to know whether a local service is operating, go to the service's current notice. A broad news summary is a starting point for understanding the day, not a substitute for an official update that affects your next decision.

Try a ten-minute news routine

Use this as a starting structure, not a promise that ten minutes covers everything. Spend the first two minutes scanning a concise briefing. Use the next five on one story you want to understand. Spend the final three checking a source or saving a question for later.

For the story you choose, ask: what actually changed, who is affected, and what remains uncertain? If you can answer those questions, you have gained more than a list of headlines. If you cannot, look for an explainer or original report rather than more versions of the same headline.

• Scan: identify the main developments.
• Choose: read one story beyond its headline.
• Check: open the source for a claim that matters.
• Stop: save anything else for your next session.

Make notifications earn their place

Decide which alerts need to interrupt you and which can wait for a planned check-in. You might keep emergency information separate from general news alerts. Review notification settings in each app instead of treating every new headline as an immediate task.

Do not use a once-a-day routine for an unfolding emergency or a situation where you need timely official instructions. The point is to set the right pace for the information, not to ignore events that require action.

Notice when you are reading the same update again

Several outlets covering a story can provide useful context. But five headlines may all repeat one announcement. Before opening the next article, ask whether it adds a new fact, independent reporting or a different perspective. Otherwise, save your time for the original source or a story you have not understood yet.

A small reading list can help you stop without losing useful material. Give each saved item a reason, such as ‘read the full explanation’ or ‘check the figures’. Review the list rather than letting it become another endless feed.

Where Informed fits

Informed brings reporting from multiple publishers into concise summaries, with links back to the sources. You can use a summary as your first pass, then open the reporting behind a point or ask a follow-up question in the app. Daily audio briefings offer another way to catch up.

Choose whichever format helps you understand the story. There is no need to read and listen to the same material just to feel up to date. This is a suggested reading routine, not a measured productivity or wellbeing claim.