Following

It is an ongoing challenge, to balance needing to be informed while not overwhelming yourself with the deluge of information out there.  Social media is many things to many people, including a source of news items and hot takes.  Too little and you’re out of the loop, too much and it’s not good for your sanity or your soul.

 

 

Tangibly, I’ve been pruning and curating my Twitter “following” list with this balance in mind. “Pruning” so as not to be overwhelmed by information.  “Curating” to make sure that what information I do take in is quality and balanced.  So here’s a snapshot of the roughly 120 accounts I follow on Twitter, in no particular order and with some illustrative (not exhaustive) examples.

• Black thought leaders – This is mostly people I know who are local or who I met in Philly and are now elsewhere, who I turn to for insights on topics like finances, social justice, historic preservation, and the church, although I would also include in this category writers with national profile like @michaelharriott.
• Business/tech news – Mirroring some of my print magazine intake, outlets like @bloomberg and @wired.
• Conservative thought leaders – A nice counterbalance to the mostly left-leaning content I consume, this includes individuals like @coldxman and @johnhmcwhorter as well as publications like @nationalreview and @cityjournal.
• Economics/analytics – This includes individuals like @modeledbehavior and @dougwebberecon, news outlets like @upshotnyt and @fivethirtyeight, and econ blogs like @margrev.
• Global news sources – Places like @bbcbreaking, @economist, and @ap.
• Higher ed – This being one of the practice areas I focus on at work, I like following @insidehighered and @chronicle.
• K-12 education – Local reporters (@newskag), academics (@profemilyoster), and national news outlets (@chalkbeat).
• Local civic orgs I was or am involved in – I continue to follow all the places I used to serve on the board of, as well as all the places I am currently on the board of.
• Local news – @inquirer of course, but also @kywnewsradio and @planphilly.
• Local papers w/national cred – Trying for geographic diversity here, so @nytimes and @washingtonpost but also @latimes and @mercnews.
• Local politics – I follow all of my representatives in City Hall and Harrisburg, like @councilmemberjg and @rick4westphilly.
• National politics – I follow @potus and my representatives in Congress, as well as a short list of conservative politicians like @nikkihaley and @senatortimscott.
• Sports and entertainment – I wish I had more brain space to follow more accounts in this genre, but now it’s just down to @bballbreakdown and @sixers.
• Urbanists – Folks like @akiradrake, @jongeeting, and @sonjatrauss are themselves great sources of insights as well as portals into interesting content they’re consuming.