If you want to keep on top of research, events, views and developments in the later life arena, have I got news for you…
About seven years ago I discovered a nifty piece of software that allowed me to combine two of my biggest passions: editing and later life. It’s called “Paper.li” and some of you may already have electronic news digests curated this way popping into your inbox on a daily or weekly basis.
There are thousands out there, on every topic imaginable and in a huge array of languages, but as far as I’m aware, mine is the only UK paper that provides quite the broad sweep of topics covering later life – from science and health through to finance, housing, leisure and, of course, politics.
The reader receives a list of links to articles from online newspapers, magazines, TV channels and so on complete with a brief synopsis. Click on the link and read/watch/listen away.
If you’re interested in doing a Paper.li of your own, pay the modest monthly fee and be prepared to do a bit more work than the minimum: the software picks up on shared stories on Twitter using a selection of key words, but that’s just the starting point: I reduce a suggested 200 stories down to about 25 as well as hunt down others that might have been missed and then prioritise them. You may also need to check that some stories are current…
It can sometimes feel like a labour of love, but I stay abreast of a key area of interest, it gives me topics to provide blogs on for my clients and keeps my name in front of my 500-or-so subscribers. Win win win.
Check in weekdays after 10am to see that day’s digest, or subscribe using the fill-in box. Subscription is free and, if you let me know of topical material on your site, I can include it in my next edition.
https://paper.li/LaterLifeAGEnda#/
By Tony Watts OBE
