The benefit of a deep breath

We live in a world dominated by rapid-fire information. With social media constantly buzzing in our pockets, it’s almost impossible to stay uninformed. And this includes times when you want to stay uninformed. Did you miss Game of Thrones on Sunday? Did you Tivo Monday Night Football? Do you not want the most recent celebrity gossip? Better turn your phone off.

For better or worse, this state of affairs affects our news consumption. A quick scan of Twitter makes most of us feel like we can cancel our subscription to our local newspaper. This is a problem. As newspapers lose staff, there will be nobody to scrutinize the county budget and keep an eye on city council meetings.

Luckily, there are local media outlets that are still producing fantastic journalism. Newspapers still hire committed personnel (support your local newspaper, by the way). And city magazines, which often have robust staff and circulation, provide an invaluable service.

As newspapers lose staff and consumer magazines focus on national topics, city magazines can still hit that sweet spot. They have the staff, and they know the community. Open your local city magazine, whether it’s Seattle Met, Texas Monthly, Chicago Magazine or Washingtonian. You’ll find restaurant reviews, profiles of local artists, top weekend events and in-depth analysis of controversial issues.

These magazines can do things newspapers cannot. They don’t have to follow such stiff rules. They can play with unconventional formats. They can create prettier design packages. And, perhaps most importantly, they don’t have to produce a print issue every day. Most city magazines publish once a month, sometimes twice a month.

This allows city magazines to slow down and take a deep breath. They don’t have to shoot out information at a rapid pace. They can examine an issue. Watch it unfold. Get to know the in’s and out’s. Digest it. Find people affected. Tell their stories. In short, they can provide the big picture that Twitter feeds cannot. They show readers the forest, not the tree.

Here at Gazet, we have a similar mantra. We want a platform where people can enjoy taking a step back. We want a platform where you can get lost for an hour or two; this is a place to find stories with color. Don’t worry, finding yourself three topics removed from your original article is encouraged!

So grab a cup of coffee and find somewhere cozy. Click on an issue that sounds interesting. Find a story you didn’t know existed. Above all, enjoy some slow news.

Want to see some examples of fantastic journalism from city magazines? Check out my Gazet here.