In a world full of Buzzfeed quizzes and “10 Reasons To Why Elite Daily Rules,” finding free quality reads for millennials is hard to come by. As the millennial generation starts to seriously enter the workforce, it seems they crave advice when it comes to more responsible matters such as career, finances, wellness, and even news.
Goldman Sachs put together an extensive media development about millennials and focused on matters that millennials are starting to care about, and having quality publications to turn to is going to be powerful in the development of this generation.
Although millennials crave for more serious content to surface in an over saturated online world, it doesn’t change the fact that the attention span of the average human has actually shrunk from 12 to eight seconds, which is smaller than a goldfish. This means the content they are looking for not only needs to be quality, but also attention grabbing. Media sources are aware of this but only few of them are taking both sides of the matter into consideration.
Reading the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal would be ideal in educating the incoming generation on breaking news, but affording these types of high-end newspapers can be tricky. This is especially true for those with college debt looming around the corner. So having easy, quality, and free reads such are important for millennials. Plus, for such a small attention span, being able to present important news in an exciting yet concise way is important and a news model that other types of online medias may want to consider adopting.
The Associated Press
First, let’s start at the best of the best. When it comes to reliable, concise, and clear stories, The Associated Press (AP) is known for it’s integrity towards breaking truthful news. AP’s mobile app is also top notch, giving readers small yet instant updates on breaking news. AP has actually been around since 1846 breaking news from locations around the world. Originally the AP would send off stories to newspapers to publish. Yet now with the integration of online, mobile and even Twitter, AP is able to publish their own work by giving the public news to rely on. For millennials looking to keep up with the news when it comes national, international, sports and entertainment news, AP is the free news sources to follow.
Twitter: @AP
Mashable
Telling stories in new ways is what draws digital consumers into new content, which is the motto Mashable is using to draw people into the news. They cover a multitude of topics relating to news, business, entertainment, and social media usage and apply new technologies and story-telling mediums in order to put together an engaging read for the digitally-savvy (aka. millennials). Their hope is to inspire and entertain the global generation. They even make reading about the stock market entertaining, which in the case of millennials can be difficult to understand in the first place.
Twitter: @mashable
Refinery 29
Now some may love or hate Refinery 29 (R29), but there is no denying the fact that R29 is successful when it comes to social media shareability with meaningful and entertaining content. Although some of the content is light-hearted and fun, like this goat cuddling job description, they also are dynamic in making breaking stories sound interesting across their online mediums. Their entertainment and news sections are up-to-date on their stories, which are put together in small articles written with a likable and easy-to-understand language. Their fashion and living section are also helpful for the working millennial, especially for those frantic about what to wear to an interview or how to have an adult apartment.
Twitter: @Refinery29
The Every Girl
This media source is the how-to guide every new working millennial woman is itching to have. They indulge readers in quality advice about careers, wellness, fashion, travel, living, and cultural news. Although it sounds like every site imaginable, The Every Girl makes sure they reach their specific niche when it comes to every article they post, which is for working millennial women. They give practical advice for their specific audience, such as 6 Questions to Ask in Every Job Interview and 8 Storage Solutions for Limited Closet Space. Now these stories may be list stories, but they are putting them together in an informative way with information that millennials are actually looking for. Their photography and online layout is easy on the eyes, which is a plus for the digitally obsessed.
Twitter: @TheEveryGirl_
Clementine Daily
Even though this media source does not produce breaking news, it is a feel-good lifestyle read that doesn’t require a subscription to have. They provide food, beauty and lifestyle tips to their readers, but through an engaging and upbeat manner. Their photography and layout are also easy on the eyes, and they also inspire their readers with daily quotes and other reads. This media outlet is an example of how even magazine journalism is seeing an online transformation.
Twitter: @ClementineDaily
The Skimm
The age of the email newsletter is actually resurfacing, and everyone is buzzing about The Skimm. This daily newsletter gives the latest news stories to women in their inbox every morning. Each story is put together in only a few sentences, and the language is snarky, sassy, and enjoyable to read. Their motto “We Read, You Skimm” is to represent how reading the news is easily skimmable, while also being informative.
Twitter: @theSkimm
Although some of these sources are biased towards women, a few are also considerate for a male audience. I chose these sources based on what I read and what I feel is quality, yet free, content that other millennial women will also enjoy.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
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