I have decided to trial a new tactic to become an informed global citizen. I will use Twitter (@TrevorAllenViz) to stay current on what’s happening in the world.

My parameters:

I only follow 8 accounts: @cspan, @AllSidesNow, @WSJ, @BBCWorld, @BBCBreaking, @Reuters, @AP, and @realDonaldTrump. I chose these for their journalistic integrity, political centeredness and neutrality. I follow Trump’s account because he is the leader of my country.
I only check Twitter once a day. I’m working out the best time of day according to my current location (Tanzania) and schedule, but hope to normalize it soon.
I set a timer for 10 minutes and then open the Twitter app. This is the maximum amount of time I allot for news consumption.

I’m excited to try this strategy and see how it affects my life. I’ve already learned some new things. Michael Bloomberg is planning on running for president. It appears the situation will escalate in Hong Kong. The whistleblower’s lawyer in the Trump impeachment probe sent a cease and desist letter to the White House. A pet barn owl in Japan rides on its owner’s bike (thanks Reuters).

It will be interesting to see how much Twitter will sabotage or hijack my attention. After 2 days I’ve already grown weary of the sponsored ads, as well as the retweets.

Maybe this works and maybe it doesn’t. But as a citizen it’s necessary to stay informed. I hope this method allows me to do so with minimal bias and time commitment. Report back in a month. It’s a big world out there.