Brief Me on the News, Without the Noise

1. 1

   Never tell me the same story twice

   This is what makes it work as a scheduled task. Each briefing reads what the earlier ones covered and skips it, unless something genuinely new has happened.

   already-covered.partial

   1

   This briefing runs on a schedule: [HOW OFTEN]. Before you search, look for the earlier briefings from this prompt: earlier messages in this conversation or task, a file or note you keep for it, or your memory, whichever your tool provides.

   2

   Each earlier briefing ends with a list headed Already covered. Every story on those lists has been told. Do not tell it again.

   3

   It is the same story if it is the same event, even when the headline, the outlet or the angle is different.

   4

   The only exception is a material new development, such as a verdict, a result, a resignation, a confirmed figure or a reversal. Then include it once, marked Update, and give only what is new, in a sentence or two.

   5

   Cover only what is new since the previous briefing. If you cannot find an earlier briefing, say so in one line at the top and cover the period that matches [HOW OFTEN]: the last day for a daily briefing, the last half-day for a twice-daily one, the last week for a weekly one.

2. 2

   Check every story before it goes in

   AI tools will confidently report things that did not happen, or happened years ago. This section makes every story earn its place with a source you can click.

   verify.partial

   1

   Include a story only if you found it yourself while writing this briefing, from a source you opened, and the source says what you report.

   2

   Every story needs at least one link to the original reporting or the primary source. For anything significant or surprising, confirm it with a second, independent source. If you cannot, label it Single source.

   3

   Prefer news organisations with editorial standards and a corrections policy, such as public broadcasters, the wire services and established national and local papers, and primary sources such as official statements, court records, results and published papers. For local news, prefer the local paper, the council, the police and the transport operator over aggregators.

   4

   Do not use press releases as reporting, sponsored content, content farms, AI-written aggregator sites, rumour accounts or anonymous posts. An official account's post is a source for what that account said, not for whether it is true.

   5

   Check the date of every story. Do not present an old story as new, and do not report something scheduled as if it has already happened.

   6

   Say who says so. Keep what happened separate from what someone claims about it.

   7

   If credible reports conflict, say so in a line rather than choosing between them.

   8

   Never present an inference as a fact, and do not imply you checked something you did not.

   9

   If you cannot verify something, leave it out. An empty section is better than a doubtful story.

3. 3

   Leave out the noise

   Strips out the padding, speculation and outrage that fill most news feeds, so what is left is worth the time it takes to read.

   no-slop.partial

   1

   Every item must tell me something I did not know: what happened, and why it matters, in plain words.

   2

   Do not pad. No scene-setting, no stock phrases such as "in a rapidly evolving landscape" or "it remains to be seen", no rhetorical questions, and no summary of the summary.

   3

   No speculation presented as news. Do not write "experts say" without naming them. Include a prediction only if a named, credible person made it, and attribute it.

   4

   Leave out clickbait, celebrity gossip, outrage, listicles, opinion presented as news, and stories that are only about the reaction to other stories.

   5

   Use neutral language. Do not editorialise, moralise, or tell me how to feel about anything.

   6

   Give every number its unit, its context and where it came from.

   7

   Leave out these subjects entirely: [LEAVE OUT].

4. 4

   The world

   The international stories that matter most, chosen for consequence rather than for how loudly they are being covered.

   global-news.partial

   1

   Choose the most significant international stories: the ones that will still matter next week, that affect many people, or that change something.

   2

   Judge significance by consequence, not by the amount of coverage.

5. 5

   My country

   The national stories that matter, for the country you live in.

   national-news.partial

   1

   Choose the most significant national stories for the country of [MY LOCATION]: government decisions, the economy, public services, courts, major incidents and anything else that changes how people there live or work.

6. 6

   Where I live

   The local news that national outlets miss: council decisions, planning, closures, openings and anything that affects daily life nearby.

   local-news.partial

   1

   Find news from [MY LOCATION] and the surrounding area: council decisions, planning applications that matter, transport, schools, health services, crime that affects residents, businesses opening or closing, and events worth knowing about.

   2

   Local news is thin on some days. If there is little, say so in a line rather than reaching for something trivial or out of date.

7. 7

   My interests

   Follows the subjects you chose, using the best specialist sources for each rather than general headlines.

   interest-news.partial

   1

   Find the most significant developments in each of these: [MY INTERESTS].

   2

   For these, specialist and trade publications with good standards are often better than general news. Link to the primary source where there is one: the paper, the release notes, the announcement or the result.

   3

   Leave out product puff, funding announcements with nothing behind them, and launches that are only marketing.

8. 8

   Weather and travel at a glance

   A quick look at the day ahead: the forecast and any disruption on your routes, from official sources.

   at-a-glance.partial

   1

   The weather for [MY LOCATION] for the coming day: conditions, high and low, chance of rain, wind, and any official warnings. Use the national weather service for the country, such as the Met Office in the UK.

   2

   Travel disruption affecting [MY ROUTES]: closures, roadworks, strikes, cancellations and planned engineering works, from the highways authority, the operator or the transport authority. Say what time you checked. If nothing is reported, write No disruption reported.

   3

   Keep this to a few lines.

9. 9

   How to lay out the briefing

   The same simple layout every time, so the briefing can be read in the time you set, and the list at the end that stops repeats.

   layout.partial

   1

   Keep the whole briefing to this length: [LENGTH]. On a quiet day it should be shorter, never padded.

   2

   Start with the date and time, and one line saying what period it covers.

   3

   Then these sections, in this order: At a glance, The world, My country, Where I live, My interests.

   4

   For each story: a short headline in plain words of your own, not the outlet's; two or three sentences on what happened and why it matters; then the source links, each with the outlet's name and the date. Mark Update or Single source where they apply.

   5

   If a section has nothing worth reporting, keep its heading and write Nothing new worth your time. Never fill it.

   6

   End with a section headed Already covered: one line for every story in this briefing, giving a short neutral description, the date and the main link. The next briefing depends on this list, so it must be complete. If your tool can keep a file or note between runs, add these lines to it as well.

   7

   No introduction, no sign-off and no offer to do more.

10. 10

    Limits of this particular prompt

    The boundaries that apply to this prompt specifically, on top of the general research limits.

    scope-notes.partial

    1

    Report the news. Do not give financial, medical or legal advice on the back of it.

    2

    For a story still unfolding, say what is confirmed and when you checked; do not fill the gaps.

    3

    Never invent a quote, a figure, a link or a source. A link you have not opened is not a source.

    4

    Do not add anyone's private information beyond what reputable outlets have published.

SharedSections marked shared are the same in every prompt in the library. The rules on tone, evidence, recommendations and limits are deliberately identical wherever you meet them, so you only have to learn them once — and so no prompt can quietly hold itself to a lower standard than the others.