Staying current with the latest news and information has become exponentially more difficult as content volumes continue to grow online. With so many stories published across thousands of sources each day, how can you possibly keep up?
News aggregator websites and apps provide the solution – bringing all that content together in one place and summarizing the most important headlines and topics.
In this comprehensive guide, we explore the top news aggregators available and provide insider tips for creating your own custom news curation website with WordPress.
Contents
The Value of News Aggregators
Before diving into the options, let‘s look at why news aggregators are so valuable:
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Convenience: Get all your news in one place without visiting lots of sites.
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Efficiency: Quickly skim headlines in minutes instead of hours.
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Customization: Tailor news feeds to your unique interests and preferences.
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Discovery: Find new sources and stories you may have otherwise missed.
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Perspective: See more balanced coverage with multiple viewpoints.
According to Pew Research, 68% of U.S. adults get news from social media and aggregators. The Reuters Institute also found that across 5 countries, utilization of news aggregators doubled from 2013 to 2017.
As content explosions continue across the digital landscape, aggregators become increasingly vital for both consumers and publishers. Now let‘s explore the top options.
Top 9 News Aggregator Websites & Apps
Here are the most popular and useful news aggregators in 2022 based on user base, content breadth, discovery, personalization, and overall experience:
1. Feedly
Feedly tops our list as the most versatile and customizable aggregator. You can tailor Feedly to pull in content from any RSS feed across the web and organize it precisely to your liking.
The slick minimalist interface lets you easily scan headlines and summaries in your feeds. Click any story and you immediately see the full text inline without leaving Feedly.
Some key features that enable creating your perfect feed include:
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Topic-based feeds – Select from pre-made feeds around your interests like tech, business, sports, etc.
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Source feeds – Follow specific sites by adding any publisher‘s RSS feed.
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Keyword tracking – Get alerts on trending topics and terms.
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Recommendations – Feedly suggests new sources based on your interactions with current feeds.
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Integration support – Connect with apps like Pocket, Twitter, Slack, Google Assistant, and more to enhance and share content.
Feedly really excels for power users who want limitless customization for building their ideal reading experience.
The free version supports 100 feed sources and in-app search. Paid plans start at $5/month for premium features like full-text search, alerts, stats, and integration add-ons.
Feedly is available via web, iOS, and Android apps. Over 15 million people use Feedly each month.
2. Google News
Given their dominance in web search, it should come as no surprise that Google News also offers an excellent news aggregation experience.
The AI-powered algorithm automatically surfaces relevant top headlines and stories based on your interactions over time.
Categories across the top let you quickly browse trusted news sources on topics like:
- Business
- Technology
- Entertainment
- Sports
- Science
- Health
And the prominent Full Coverage link on any story shows a complete perspective with articles from various sources on that news item.
Other key features include:
- Local news tailored to your city.
- Notifications for breaking news on followed topics.
- Newsstand option for magazine content.
- Support for 360 degree videos in stories.
- Personalized news feed on iOS and Android apps.
As you‘d expect from a Google product, the coverage and aggregation technology is exceptional. This makes it one of the best options for general news consumption.
3. SmartNews
SmartNews is an up-and-coming news aggregator app focused on leveraging machine learning algorithms to optimize discovery and personalization.
Upon first installing the app, you select topics of interest from a vast catalog of niche and broad categories. SmartNews then continues learning about your preferences to refine your feed over time.
The "For You" feed shows personalized top stories curated by the algorithm based on your usage patterns. You can also bookmark favorite topics and publishers to directly access that content.
Additional capabilities include:
- Local news alerts and weather.
- Daily Digest email newsletter.
- Audio articles.
- Offline reading with downloads.
- Sponsored content from advertisers.
Backed by machine learning and partnerships with over 3000 global publications, SmartNews provides an addictive news reading experience tuned to your interests.
4. Apple News
Pre-installed on iOS devices, Apple News provides seamless aggregation of top headlines and trending stories for Apple users.
The Today feed combines top stories, trending coverage, and personalized picks based on your reading history and interests. This offers a single place to catch up quickly each day.
You can also browse specific news publications and topics by following channels related to:
- Business
- Politics
- Technology
- Sports
- Lifestyle
- and much more…
Additional features include:
- Audio articles that you can listen to.
- Notifications for breaking news or top stories.
- Support for offline reading.
- Sharing stories via Messages or social media.
The tight integration into the Apple ecosystem makes this an ideal aggregator if you use multiple Apple devices.
5. Flipboard
Flipboard offers one of the most stylish and engaging news aggregation experiences. It feels like you‘re flipping through a stylish magazine tailored just for you.
The highly visual stories pull you in and make it enjoyable to catch up on the latest happenings across your interests.
You subscribe to topics and publications you care about. Flipboard then crafts your personalized smart magazine with stories on those subjects.
Additional capabilities include:
- Local news, weather, real estate, and job listings.
- 30+ language support.
- Offline reading for when no connectivity.
- Sharing stories and highlights.
- Notification support.
Flipboard partners with over 5000 publishers to provide content. With 225 million users worldwide, it‘s a top choice for those wanting a more magazine-like reading feel compared to basic feed lists.
6. MSN
Microsoft‘s MSN provides a straightforward news aggregation experience directly on the web.
It features the day‘s top headlines across common categories like News, Sports, Money, Lifestyle, Health & Fitness, Autos, Travel, Entertainment, Food & Drink, and Weather.
You simply select your interests to customize the stories appearing on MSN‘s homepage. Local news and weather automatically adapt to your set location as well.
In addition to headlines, MSN offers full articles and photo galleries for big stories happening across their covered topics. You can scan summaries and click through on any story to read the full piece right on MSN.
This makes MSN a great option if you want a quick overview of news from major mainstream sources without an app download.
7. NewsBreak
NewsBreak stands out with a focus on truly local news aggregation. In additional to major headlines, it brings local city stories and information to the forefront.
Upon opening the app, NewsBreak uses your device‘s location to show top local news, weather, events, crime reports, community posts, and other information near you.
You can save locations like home and work to receive ongoing news updates targeted to those areas throughout the day.
Beyond just news, other local content provided includes:
- Classifieds
- Job listings
- Garage sales
- Real estate listings
- Restaurant menus
- And more…
This hyperlocal approach makes NewsBreak perfect for learning what‘s happening in and around your city.
8. Reddit
Reddit provides one of the most popular social news aggregation and discussion platforms.
The site is made up of over 100,000 different communities called subreddits. Each subreddit focuses on a particular topic and shares links, stories, and discussions relevant to that niche.
For example, some of the most popular subreddits include:
- r/news – General news articles
- r/worldnews – International news stories
- r/politics – U.S. politics
- r/technology – Tech industry news
- r/science – New scientific discoveries
- r/books – Book news and recommendations
- r/economics – Economic analysis and news
The crowdsourced model results in highly engaged discussions around the shared news stories. And the sheer amount of active communities span almost any topic imaginable.
9. Yahoo News
Yahoo News provides a straightforward news aggregation experience right from Yahoo‘s homepage.
It features constantly updated headlines spanning categories like:
- U.S. News
- World News
- Politics
- Business
- Tech
- Science
- Health
- Sports
- Entertainment
- Odd News
You can customize your interests and local edition. Categories along the top make it easy to jump between different news areas.
Full articles provide in-depth coverage for anyone looking to move beyond just headlines. And the comment section under each story facilitates community discussion.
As an established news leader for over 20 years, Yahoo News continues to be a go-to for those wanting a familiar news hub experience.
How To Create Your Own News Aggregator Website
If you want to aggregate news and content around specific topics important to you or an audience, creating your own custom news aggregator is a great idea.
We‘ll walk through how to make one using WordPress, which provides an easy and flexible way to build websites quickly.
Step 1: Get WordPress Hosting
Your first step is signing up for web hosting that supports WordPress installation. The best option is Bluehost due to their fast servers and 24/7 support.
Pricing starts at just $2.75/month for shared hosting plans. Once you have hosting, you can install WordPress with 1-click from your Bluehost dashboard.
You‘ll also want to register your own domain name for the site. This will give you a professional brand name like YourSiteName.com.
Step 2: Find and Import Feeds
Now it‘s time to find RSS feeds related to the niche your site will focus on. Most blogs and news sites publish content via feeds.
To get a site‘s feed URL, look for "RSS" links on their site footer or sidebar. You can also usually just append /feed/ to their URL.
For example https://examplesite.com/feed/.
Tools like FeedFinder also let you search for feeds by keyword. Search for topics related to your site and compile a list of relevant feed URLs.
Step 3: Install and Configure WP RSS Aggregator
To pull in and display feeds on your WordPress site, you need an RSS plugin. The best choice is WP RSS Aggregator.
After installing, navigate to the plugin‘s settings under Dashboard → RSS Aggregator. Here you can configure options like:
- Feed import frequency
- Maximum feed items
- Item date range
This controls how your feeds get imported and displayed.
Step 4: Add Feeds to Your Aggregator
With your plugin activated, you can begin adding feeds to your aggregator.
Go to Dashboard → RSS Feeds → Add New. Give each feed a name and enter the feed URL you want to pull content from.
You can also categorize feeds for easier organization and filtering on your site. Save your feeds and the plugin will automatically begin importing new items.
Add all the feeds relevant to your site niche. The more you add, the more content your aggregator will display.
Step 5: Display Your Aggregated Content
Lastly, it‘s time to show your aggregated feed content publicly on your site pages and posts.
When editing a page or post, look for the "WP RSS Aggregator" block under the Widgets section. This will pull in and display your feeds.
You can customize the feed settings like number of items, sort order, categories, etc. Publish your page and you‘ll see your news aggregator live!
Advanced Tips for Your Custom Aggregator
Here are some additional tips for powering up your WordPress news aggregator site:
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Add images to your posts by enabling the "Featured Images" option in your plugin settings. This will pull images from feeds when available to better visualize stories.
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Install an engaging magazine-style theme to make your design more dynamic. Popular free options include Hemingway and Newspaper.
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Consider enabling ads or sponsored posts as monetization streams. You can run Google AdSense directly on your site or work directly with advertisers.
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Build email newsletter integration to send out daily or weekly summaries of top stories to subscribers. Plugins like Mailchimp make this easy.
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Make sure your site is fast by optimizing images and enabling caching. Quick load times keep visitors engaged.
The world of news aggregation holds tremendous opportunity. Find an underserved niche, leverage the WordPress platform to launch quickly, and deliver a tailored news experience like no other for your audience.
Key Takeaways
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News aggregators bring together relevant headlines and full articles from across the web into one convenient place. This lets readers stay informed easily on their topics of interest.
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Options like Feedly, Google News, Apple News, SmartNews, Flipboard, and NewsBreak use algorithms and human curation to provide personalized news experiences.
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Reddit offers a more social and interactive way to discover and discuss news across tens of thousands of active communities.
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You can create your own custom news aggregator in WordPress using hosting providers like Bluehost and plugins like WP RSS Aggregator.
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Focus your aggregator site around a specific niche or location to provide targeted value. Monetize through ads, sponsorships, or subscriptions.
In a world saturated with content, news aggregators have become essential tools for both consumers and publishers. Take advantage of these platforms to stay smarter and more informed.
How do you currently keep up with the news? Let us know in the comments which aggregators you find most useful!
