📰 Building An Intentional Media Diet
I’ll be taking a short break on SSA from Monday-Wednesday next week as I have some fun family commitments that I’ll be focused on. Hoping to find some guest posts for Thursday and Friday too (if you want to write something send it my way). Thanks for reading.
Happy Friday!
When I was in high school, I made a commitment to read my hometown newspaper, The Washington Post, cover to cover every morning. I had my own subscription and I was diligent (almost crazy) about reading the paper everyday. And I am not sorry I was. It helped me learn about the world and shaped the person I am today.
But let’s be real. Things have changed. What we consume, where we consume it, why we consume it, and how we need to consume it is vastly different—and it requires a more intentional approach. The last two days I posted about books and podcasts. But today I want to zoom out and talk about the importance of building an intentional media diet as a junior lawyer.
What is a media diet, you might ask? It’s the content we consume every day. When most options were limited to newspapers, magazines, books, and radio, it wasn’t hard to “manage” your media diet. The choices were limited and easy to optimize. I even remember as a young lawyer, my firm would circulate printed updates on substantive areas of law—passed physically from lawyer to lawyer (you just had to ask to get on the list).
Today couldn’t be more different. We still have all those sources, but now we also have newsletters, blogs, podcasts, social media, and more. More new content comes out every second than we could possibly consume—even if we wanted to. If we’re not careful, we could spend our whole day consuming content—and not be any better for it (maybe worse).
That’s why I find it helpful to think about media consumption the way we think about food: Be intentional. Focus on your goals and interests. Everything in moderation. This is a great time to start building your media diet—because what you consume shapes who you become. It can make you a better, smarter, more interesting, more informed, and more well-rounded attorney (and person).
Decide When and How You’ll Consume Content Before Deciding What. I wish I could eat all day long—but that wouldn’t be good for my body. The same is true for media. Before deciding what to consume, decide how much and when you’ll consume it. It’s easy to let content fill every waking minute—and every pause in your day—but is that how you want to spend your time? Check email and social feeds less often—or check them intentionally and on your terms.
Add Some Professional Content to Your Diet. If your media diet is centered on hobbies and personal interests, that’s great. But you’re early in your legal career, and now’s the time to ask: What else can I learn? Who else can I learn from? What are my bosses and clients reading? Start consuming that. Already on social media? Start by following legal professionals and thought leaders. Check out some responses to a post I shared on LinkedIn earlier this week for ideas. Better yet, ask people a few steps ahead of you what they read regularly.
Don’t Live in the Media Cycle. The modern media cycle moves at lightning speed. The “big story” of the day is now the “big story” of the moment. Unless the issue directly affects your work, you likely don’t need to hear about it first—or follow the full cycle of coverage. Stay engaged, but don’t chase immediacy.
Niche Down. Here’s my spicy take (see I buried it in the middle of the list). You don’t need to read The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal every day. I don’t.
Instead, build curated set of sources and people I trust—ones who regularly surface what matters most to me. I pick up the rest in passing: conversations, social scrolls, or a TV at a restaurant. This lets me go deeper on topics that matter most to me—professionally and personally—and saves time. Honestly, I am more likely to know about the biggest trend in legal recruiting then about the latest scandal—and I am OK with that!Share Good Stuff and Read What Others Share. It’s noisy out there. When you find the signal, share it. It’s a great way to stay connected (“Hey Professor, I thought of our class discussion when I read this”), and a great way to spark useful conversations. Yes, not everything shared is worthwhile (e.g., your great uncle’s memes), but building a reputation for sharing useful, thoughtful content is a professional asset.
Don’t Treat Your Media Diet Like a To-Do List. I’m awful at this, but it’s important. Being plugged in 24/7/365 isn’t a viable strategy for long-term success or satisfaction. We live at a media buffet—and not in a good way. Start now to build a more sustainable relationship with media. Once it becomes routine, it’s exponentially harder to stop.
Work Backwards from the Goal. I’ve kind of said this already but I want to be 100% clear: when building a media diet ask yourself, “What am I optimizing for?” If your goal is professional growth, seek out content that deepens your expertise and broadens your awareness in those areas. But that also means not feeling like you need to be an expert in everything the algorithm throws at you.
Keep standing out,
Jonah
