Why Staying Informed Matters

Staying informed about current events is more than just staying up to date – it’s your gateway to engaging meaningfully with the world and confidently navigating interview scenarios. 

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A past Sciences Po dual-degree interviewee recounted being asked to analyze France’s recent pension reform and its socioeconomic implications – not just recite facts. Having tracked coverage across Le Monde, The Financial Times, and even parliamentary reports allowed them to articulate nuanced positions from multiple perspectives. 

To facilitate your exploration of current events, we will deconstruct this process into several comprehensive steps

• Selection of high-quality sources 
• Prioritization of topics tailored to your interests 
• Cultivation of critical thinking, helping you connect dots rather than just accumulate headlines

Selecting sources

Choosing the right sources shapes how you understand the world. 

Many questions arise when dealing with the topic of which sources to select. Should we limit ourselves solely to mainstream media, thereby risking exposure to potentially superficial content? Or should we venture into the realm of less conventional sources, even if it means encountering content that may raise questions? Are renowned publications like The New York Times and The Economist reliable starting points? Does The Guardian offer a comprehensive perspective? What about the possibility of engaging with politically biased newspapers or thought-provoking blogs? Furthermore, how does multimedia content on platforms such as YouTube fit into this landscape? Can Russian websites like Russia Today serve as informative resources? These queries may initially appear overwhelming, but they bear profound importance. They underscore that the material you read, listen to, or watch, forms the bedrock upon which your critical thinking and synthesis skills are developed.

After a few weeks of news peregrination, you’ll come to understand by yourself that The New York Times offers rigorous global coverage, while The Economist (as its title suggests) excels at distilling complex economic and political concepts. 

✏️ NB :

Bear in mind each piece of information given is most likely seen through a specific lens – we all have political biases, and (most) journalists are no exception (The New Yorker won’t present breaking news the same way FoxNews would).
It is a major force if you are already able to discern in a given piece of information if a political agenda stands behind. If you are not, no worries, but make sure to check which sources you use: many websites nowadays decrypt the big newspapers’ political stand, to help you make better-informed research. (https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart)

You probably already have strong political ideas and identify with one party’s ideas or way of thinking. This is absolutely fine – it is even a plus for applying to Sciences Po (but not obligatory). However, make sure that when reading news, you are conscious about the newspaper’s political adherence – and that you vary sources and standpoints. Reading a brief news article in the Huffpost won’t come out the same as reading one in The Spectator (https://adfontesmedia.com/gallery/ ).

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If you have chosen to delve into the topic of migration, an insightful overview of the topic will encompass both Western and non-Western views, thus you should turn to newspapers such as Al-Jazeera English or The Citizen to gain an understanding of how the issue is framed differently across regions. Always check what the political stand of the newspapers is, and that you read both left- and right-wing ideas (and everything in between). 

Prioritizing topics

The second facet we’ve touched upon involves the prioritization of topics. Not all news is equally relevant to your goals. This significance hinges on their unique backgrounds, interests, and aspirations. Start by those closely related to what major you have decided to study at Sciences Po + partner university. 

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Suppose you intend to study international relations and public policy 

• Focus on major global developments (e.g., UN climate negotiations in specific geopolitical contexts)
• Follow a framework – this is tailored to your needs and available time, but it could be a three-pillars-system for instance : 
  • Geopolitics (Ukraine-Russia, EU expansion, Indo-Pacific tensions and alliances, etc.) 
  • Economics (IMF forecasts, rising inflation, global and national debt, etc.) 
  • Social (UN migration pacts, equality legislation, tech regulation, etc.)

🌟 Tips:

Always supplement mainstream reporting with specific research related to your chosen topic.

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If you’re passionate about climate justice, general headlines won’t suffice, you’ll want to dive into specialized journals such as Carbon Brief, or expert reports such as those produced by the IPCC.  

Instead of just reading, try synthesizing. After each article, each documentary and each interview, summarise it in a few simple sentences, as if you wanted to explain what you’ve learned about to someone completely unfamiliar with that topic – this will help you further your active understanding, rather than passively consuming content. This summary does NOT have to be written down – it is up to you to decide what is best, if you feel that writing every summary down is too fastidious and frustrating/time-consuming for you, then choose to do an oral summary. Information will stick better anyways than without any summary at all. What matters is that you train your brain to take out what is to be taken out. 

Exercise 1:

Read this short article on Al-Jazeera English : https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2025/9/6/male-only-succession-rules-overshadow-japan-princes-coming-of-age 

Its reading should take about 5 minutes. 

Now, turn mentally to someone who has absolutely no idea about Japan (barely knows where it is on a map), and explain to them precisely what you’ve retained from the article. 

Second step (without rereading it), shorten your explanation down to three sentences. Two. One. One word. 

Exercise 2:

It is important you learn to stay focused on an article that is longer than 5 minutes, as 1. you will get much more detailed information (often better-sourced / research-full) 2. you will be exposed at Sciences Po to content with many details, often precise, in whatever form it may come. 

Watch this 30-min Arte documentary https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/120879-008-A/re-rural-moldova/ 

Same as before, first try to remember as much information as you can, and explain it (mentally) to someone who has never been exposed to the topic before.
Second step (without rewatching the documentary), shorten your explanation down to three sentences. Two. One. One word. 

Before we delve deeper into the course, a disclaimer: our recommendations are a framework, not a formula. They all serve one overarching objective: to equip you with the tools to develop your critical thinking and synthesis skills to their fullest potential. As always, we encourage you to engage critically with our recommendations. Moreover, it’s essential to recognize that our discussion extends beyond the realm of exam preparation; it encompasses the cultivation of habits and choices that will enable you to stay informed effectively. While we will share our preferred methods, it remains your prerogative to discover your own equilibrium and the approaches that resonate most with you.