In the office, I’m known as the Weather Girl. It’s because I’m a weather geek. Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz and I have something in common (though I’m not prone to wearing bow ties).
It’s true that I do seem to be more aware of what’s about to hit us than some people. But it’s not because I have any special connections. It’s because I pay attention to the news. I make a point of reading at least one paper each day and of following breaking news online. I even watch news on TV just like they used to do in the olden days.
Everybody should read the paper! We all need to know what’s happening around us – in our backyards and across the globe. It can be hard to find the time, I know. There are times I read the morning paper at 11 pm, through nearly closed eyes. And it’s a fact that much of the news is not good. But we still need to know what it is!
I’m sure there are at least a few journalists left out there who would agree with me. And certainly those of us in PR need to be constantly monitoring the news.
So whether you listen to your local all-news radio station one, two or three times a day, or you read the Wall Street Journal over your bowl of Cheerios, do something to make sure you know what’s going on. You don’t have to become a hurricane chaser, but it is useful to know when to grab the umbrella.