The Shala Daily

Why Bother? The Case for Diversifying Your News Diet
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: just six corporations control nearly 90% of the U.S. media industry. This consolidation shapes not just what stories get covered, but how they’re framed, whose voices are amplified, and whose are marginalized. When a small number of companies control the production and distribution of content, they tend to prioritize certain perspectives that align with their corporate interests, and alternative viewpoints that do not align with these interests are often excluded or marginalized.

PressReader is one antidote to this problem. With unlimited access to more than 7,000 publications from over 120 countries, in 60 different languages, you can step outside the algorithmic echo chamber and discover how journalists in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Beijing, or Belfast cover the same stories you’re reading about at home. Popular titles include The New York Times, The Economist, The Guardian, Newsweek, MIT Technology Review, Der Tagesspiegel, La Razon and China Daily.

The best part? As a DC Public Library cardholder, this is completely free.

What You’ll Need
∙ A DC Public Library card (get one free at any branch or online at https://www.dclibrary.org/get-a-card)
∙ A device (phone, tablet, or computer)
∙ About 5 minutes

Step 1: Choose Your Access Method
You have two options:
Option A: Browser (easiest for first-time exploration)
Go directly to the DC Library’s PressReader portal (https://dclibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.pressreader.com)
Option B: App (best for regular reading)
Go to the PressReader app page and download the app for your device (https://about.pressreader.com/download-app/)

Step 2: Sign In with Your Library Card
For browser access:
After you open PressReader, enter your library card number if requested.
For the app:
1. Open the PressReader app and choose the Libraries sign in option (look for the library card icon).
2. Tap on Select Library or Group, type “District of Columbia Public Library” and tap The District of Columbia Public Libraries.
3. Tap Sign In, enter your library card number, and tap Connect to Resources.

Step 3: Create a Personal Account (Optional but Recommended)
To activate options including reading offline, automatic issue delivery, creating collections and saving articles, create a free personal account from the Sign In page using your email address.
This step lets you bookmark articles, set up a personalized feed, and have your favorite publications ready when you open the app.

Step 4: Start Exploring
Here are some ways to break out of your media bubble:
∙ By country: Browse publications from a specific nation to see how they cover international stories
∙ By language: If you’re learning a language, reading news is excellent practice
∙ By topic: Search for a story you’ve been following and see how different outlets cover it
∙ By format: Classic puzzles and eBooks are now available on PressReader as well

Need Help?
DC Public Library provides excellent support:
∙ DC Library’s PressReader Tutorial (https://my.nicheacademy.com/dclibrary/course/2373)
∙ PressReader Help Center (https://care.pressreader.com/hc/en-us)
∙ PressReader How-To Videos on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkODewQQvOerp3ppTwTUL_ArgmM15L3JM)
For more information, visit the DC Public Library’s PressReader page (https://www.dclibrary.org/research-and-learn/pressreader)

A Note on Downloads
There are no limits on downloads and they’re yours to keep forever. (Exception: Issues for The Economist are limited to a 7 day checkout period and can be checked out again once the 7 days is over.)

Reading broadly across different publications, countries, and perspectives isn’t just intellectually satisfying—it’s a form of civic hygiene. When media consolidation leads to fewer independent news outlets, making it harder for alternative viewpoints to be heard in public discourse, services like PressReader through your public library become genuinely democratic infrastructure.
Your library card is more powerful than you think. Use it.