Pulse Check: Tracking News Headlines For Your Next Story Idea

Hey hackers!

Now that we’ve gone over the importance of content calendars, here’s another strategy that can help in your writing endeavors: tracking news headlines (or any content, for that matter!).

You probably already consume a lot of news and content on a daily basis, but instead of shelving it away in some part of your brain to be used later, it’s a good idea to keep track of it in case you want to use it as a source or as an inspiration for your next article.

Revisiting your content tracker from time to time can really do wonders, especially if you’re struggling with ideas, and can help you document key takeaways, relevant links, and how to use the information in your own writing.

Is Tracking News Headlines Really All THAT Important?

Yes, yes it is! It’s easy to shrug off the idea of keeping track of news headlines, but you’re better off using a content tracker for a number of reasons:

• Idea generation: We can’t stress this enough. Keeping track of news headlines (or any content, for that matter!) can give you some great ideas that you can explore at your own pace.
• Sources, sources, and sources: It’s easier to cross-reference and source your articles if you keep track of and read news headlines regularly. And HackerNoon editors LOVE authors who cite their sources in the text.
• Save time: documenting your ideas, especially if they’re detailed, can really save you a ton of time during the writing process and help you expand on your work from where you left off.
• Stay Organized: Having a central repository of content can really help you stay organized, especially if you plan on referencing them for your work in the future.

Keeping Track of News Headlines Like the Pros

Nobody wants to open tons of browser tabs every day to keep track of content. There are tons of publications out there, and the last thing you want to do is spend hours upon hours trying to find what may or may not be relevant to you. Luckily, there’s an easy way to do it without sinking all your hours into the process. Here’s a simple framework that the pros use to stay ahead of the track:

1. Use news aggregators: Bookmarking tools, RSS readers, or even social media tracking platforms like Pocket or Feedly are great ways to quickly scan headlines in your niche and staying on top of trending topics over time.

2. Pair it up with a content curation routine: It’s important to have a specific time each day or week to review news, read articles, or listen to podcasts. When you carve out time, you ensure that you’re not distracting yourself by regularly opening new tabs during hours you need to work or be productive 😅

3. Set up Google Alerts: The best in the business do it, so why shouldn’t you? Google Alerts sends email notifications when new content appears online that matches specific keywords. You can set up alerts for your areas of interest—specific topics, authors, or even industries, to stay notified of any new articles or developments without having to search manually.

4. Good Ol’ Bookmarks: A little old-fashioned, but, hey, we’ll take it. Bookmarks may be messier than some of the other approaches here, but thankfully, we have some content trackers (more below) to help with that. Try keeping bookmarks under specific themes and then carry them over to a content tracker (below) to remain organized.

5. Check out some online forums and communities: You’ll be surprised by how often reporters find leads on topics by simply following online forums and communities. The most popular ones are Reddit and Quora, but there may be others that are specific to different niches, like NeoGAF or ResetERA.

6. Following the right accounts on Social Media: We know, we know! Social media can be a bit of a time sink, but some of the best content out there is produced on YouTube or available on Spotify as podcasts. Just don’t go down a rabbit hole and get sidetracked :-)

That’s all for today, Hackers.

Until next time, keep creating wonderful things!