Prof KRG

A practical resource for student journalists.

  • Journalism
    • Quotables
    • Nerd Notes
    • Online
    • Media Education
    • Media Ethics
    • Media Industry
    • Media Law
  • Professional Development
    • Management
      • Pub Manual 101 Series
    • Leadership
      • Editor Therapy
        • #EditorTherapy recaps
        • #EditorTherapy schedules
    • Productivity
  • PR
    • PR Writing
    • Blogging
    • Social Media
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Readings
    • Prof KRG’s Bookstore
    • Nonfiction
    • Fiction
    • 2019 Reading List
    • 2018 Reading List
    • 2017 Reading List
    • 2016 Reading List
    • 2015 Reading List
    • 2014 Reading List
    • 2013 Reading List
    • Course Book Recommendations
    • Blogs Worth Reading
    • Podcasts Worth Hearing

8 Apps to Help Students Stay Informed

August 23, 2016 by Kenna Griffin

Tweet
Share7
Share
Pin
+1
7 Shares

News quizzes are difficult. I wasn’t really aware of this until I began giving weekly current events quizzes in my introductory public relations course. Some students did quite well on the quizzes and even said they looked forward to them; other students struggled.

NewsI teach in a mass communications program, and my students want to be media practitioners. So, I naively assumed my students understood the importance of being informed.

You know what happens when you assume, don’t you? I do now.

To help solve the problem, I developed this list of eight apps students can use to stay informed about current events.

1. USA TODAY

I’m not a huge fan of USA Today as a publication, but their app is well organized and a wonderful way to get a quick, easy buffet of the biggest news happenings.

2. NEWSOK

NewsOK is the app for our state newspaper, The Oklahoman. Obviously, this would need to be altered slightly, depending on your university’s location. But it’s critical for students to remain up-to-date on local news in their region, state and city.

3. MEDIAOCU

In the same way that students should be informed about local happenings, they also should be informed about hyperlocal (campus) happenings. MediaOCU is the app for our campus student media. I almost always ask at least one quiz question from campus news.

4. AP MOBILE

The Associated Press breaks news in real time and only reports on the most important issues. I recommend that students not only look at the AP Mobile app, but also allow it to send breaking news alerts to their phones.

5. CNN

Although I look at CNN, I find that most of the content there already has been covered by USA Today or AP. I could just as easily skip this one, since I read the others first. But it is a legitimate news source and a place for additional information.

6. MASHABLE

Tech news is huge. Mashable does it best. I usually pull at least one quiz question from something I’ve read on Mashable. Many times, it’s also something covered in the Tech section of USA Today.

7. HUFFINGTON POST

Huff Po is becoming a more legitimate news source by the minute. I usually take a look at Huff Po just to see their take on things I’ve been reading elsewhere. Some of the unusual stories provide interesting classroom discussion fodder.

8. THE SKIMM

Ok, I sorta cheated on No. 8. The Skimm is not an app. It’s a website introduced to me by my students. All you do is log on and enter your email address, then you receive a daily digest of news (on email) in your inbox. It’s awesome!

BONUS: PR DAILY

Since the students taking my news quizzes are in a public relations course, it’s important for them to keep up with PR news. I recommend that my PR students read Ragan’s PR Daily, which is a wonderful source for all PR happenings.

There you have it. The eight apps (or at least types of apps, plus a bonus) that can keep students informed on current events. Hopefully just being reminded of the list will prepare students for news quizzes and help them be more informed citizens.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related Posts:

  • 7 Easy Ways for Students to Stay Informed7 Easy Ways for Students to Stay Informed
  • The Newsroom Leaders’ Guide to Managing Staff ConflictThe Newsroom Leaders’ Guide to Managing Staff Conflict
  • My 35 Favorite Fiction Books of 2017My 35 Favorite Fiction Books of 2017
Tweet
Share7
Share
Pin
+1
7 Shares
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above (typically those to books) may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I promise that I only recommend products or services I use personally and think will provide you value. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter

Prof KRG

Prof KRG aims to create an ongoing educational dialogue among media professionals, students and educators.

Please let me know what resources you need or topics you wish you better understood. If I don't know the information, I'm happy to seek out someone who does.

Contact me via email at kennagriffin@gmail.com.

Quotables

“Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.”

— Mark Twain

Pinterest

Follow Kenna's board ProfKRG.com on Pinterest.

About Kenna Griffin

I am a mass communications professor, journalist and collegiate media adviser. I teach classes including those on writing, reporting, media law, media ethics, social media marketing, and public relations. I am married, have two children and live in Oklahoma. More about this site's purpose

The archive

Prof KRG Insider

  • About
  • Contact
  • Social Media Policies
  • Syllabuses
  • My Toolbox

Copyright© 2019, Kenna Griffin