[JeffJenkins]

For anyone who isn't ready to completely turn off the news spigot, consider switching to a weekly (or monthly) source of news.

I get all of my (non-HN) news from The Economist's audio edition. It's released weekly and they have a section right at the start about big things happening in business/politics around the world in the last week. It's no more than a couple minutes to scan, and 10-20 in normal speed audio.

The rest of the articles are at least one step back (since they summarize a week of what's happened). Many others are looking at some larger event or trend, sometimes with a recent event/anecdote as a lead in.

I like the audio edition in particular since I can put it on while I'm doing chores or commuting and I'll pick up bits and pieces even if I'm not fully paying attention. I can also have only the sections I care about included, which lets me skip the ones I really don't care about.

[user24]

Read the economist a lot while I was studying for my undergrad. Never felt more informed, and have never found a more balanced presentation of things, imho.

Nowadays I read the guardian website and watch RT sometimes. But I think I'll go back to the economist soon.

[furyg3]

Is this only a soundcloud thing or is this available somewhere as an (offline) podcast?

Soundcloud link: http://l.economist.com/204894&t=v1g49i1qmlsq6a25ld8r6j8u40

[JeffJenkins]

You have to be a subscriber, and then it's available on their website: http://www.economist.com/audio-edition

If you just want to read The World This Week it's available online for free: http://www.economist.com/printedition/

[spenuke]

To be clear, since I can't see without being a subscriber, the "audio edition" is different from the "Economist radio" linked on Soundcloud?

[JeffJenkins]

Yes. Audio Edition is a word-for-word reading of the print edition. Economist Radio looks like it has the random other audio things they do (there's also a podcast on iTunes with those sorts of things)

[smtddr]

FWIW, I think all soundcloud stuff have download options. http://i.imgur.com/DzaoYSK.png

[gizzlon]

Not all, I believe whoever uploads it can turn it on and off...

Here's a direct link: https://soundcloud.com/theeconomist

Scroll down to "recent" and you'll see that many, but not all, of them have a download button.

Love the fact that they put it on soundcloud since I already use it

[cschmidt]

I also love the Economist audio edition. I listen to it during my commute, and mostly get through it each week. It kept me sane on a horrible commute with my previous job.

They have a separate digital subscription, if you just want the website and audio edition. It is included in a print subscription as well. You can buy a single week, if you want to try it out.

Highly recommended if you want to ignore the advice of the OP.

[mongol]

I think new subscribers must choose, print and digital are not included in each other, but there is a more expensive option for both.

[cschmidt]

Sorry, it changed since I last looked. They used to offer a regular subscription with both digital and print, or a cheaper digital only. As you say, now they offer the regular option with both, or a cheaper option with either digital or print.

[mrweasel]

News media, such as The Economist, is also VERY different from what they talk about in the article:

>The media feeds us small bites of trivial matter, tidbits that don't really concern our lives and don't require thinking.

Most of the news stories aren't really what I would call news anyway. The type of news that is apparently bad for me, is the same type of news that embodies everything that is wrong with most news media. The topics of you evening news broadcast is about as relevant as the sports scores.

[herdrick]

I think you guys are missing the point. Most of these effects are caused by ALL news, even high quality sources like The Economist and HN.

[mongol]

That section is really great. If you would read nothing else at all, and just add one thing, that would be the first thing to add. What I miss is something similar on a more local level. Both local-local, but also for my country. I even thought of doing a start-up at this (produce a one page PDF weekly to complement this spread).