Staying Informed Without the Overwhelm: How We Use AI to Read the News Smarter

There’s something strange about how we consume news today.

On one hand, everything is available. Every angle, every update, every alert. On the other hand, it’s never been harder to focus. To separate signal from noise. To know what actually matters.

That’s something we, Rosa and Femke, started noticing in our own workdays. We wanted to stay informed. But we also wanted to stay present and not lose our mornings to endless scrolling.

So we turned to AI. Not to get more information, but to get better information. Smarter. Sharper. More useful for the roles we’re in.

And it started with a simple question: What if we could brief ourselves like an analyst would brief a decision-maker? Short, structured, relevant.

That idea led to the first version of our go-to news prompt. We asked:

“Brief me on the most relevant news from the last 24 hours in the following categories: finance, world news, and AI & technology. Use trustworthy sources. Structure the answer by topic and include links to original sources.”

What came back felt like a personal daily newspaper. Clear. Actionable. Easy to scan. And, maybe most importantly, it didn’t waste our time.

We started using it every morning in Copilot Web or ChatGPT Web, and it quickly became part of our rhythm. Like coffee, but for context.

But that was just the beginning.

We also knew that not everything important is in the headlines. Sometimes, the stories that shape the future are buried or not trending yet. So we built a second version:

“Give me a daily news update focused on the most important stories I should be paying attention to, even if they’re not trending. Focus on long-term relevance and global impact. Summarize each story in a few bullet points and include links.”

This one helped us step back from the feed and focus on what actually shapes our work. Shifts in policy, early signals from markets, quiet but important changes in regulation or ethics. The kind of insights that don’t scream for attention but reward it.

And finally, we built a third version for when we need to go deep into a specific field or project. When we’re preparing for a session, an event, or a strategy day with a client. That’s when we use:

“Give me a news overview from the last 24 hours, focused on developments in [insert sector, for example education, healthcare, sustainability]. Include regional and global insights with links to the original sources.”

That’s how we get up to speed fast on what’s happening in any given domain. And honestly, it saves hours.

Now these three prompts are part of how we work. We even automated them using tools like Zapier or Make, so the news updates land in our feed or inbox without having to ask. One of us reads them during breakfast. The other before opening Outlook. Either way, we start the day informed without losing control over our attention.

Because that’s what it’s really about.

Not consuming more. But choosing better.
And using AI not just as a tool but as a filter. As a thinking partner.

We still keep up with the news. But now, it fits into our day. Not the other way around.

That feels like progress.