My Daily Media Diet

Alyssa Murphy is the founder of Siren Media, an all-woman marketing agency in Oklahoma City. Murphy praises The Lost Ogle, tells us why Polynesian music makes her sentimental, and why she’s recently switched off daily news podcasts.

Where do you get your news first?

Before the pandemic, I would listen to podcasts like The Daily or First Up on NPR’s app to get an overview of headlines. I know I’m not alone when I say that my brain couldn’t take any more negative world/national/local events during the peak of COVID. Today, I skim social media for headlines from various news sources each morning. My favorite news sources to follow are local news via social media (The Lost Ogle, The Oklahoman, KOCO, KFOR, KWTV), national news (NPR, BBC, The New York Times), and business/economic news (The Wall Street Journal, Forbes).

What app do you open first in the morning?

If I’m in the mood to see what events are trending but not necessarily breaking news: Facebook. If I’m in the mood for cat videos, makeup, art and daily afrmations: Instagram. If I’m curious about breaking news or live event coverage: Twitter.

What newsletter always gets clicked open?

As a business owner, my first objective in the morning is to delete all of the emails in my inbox that are spam or promotional material. However, I find great value in the Hoot Worthy newsletter by my friends and colleagues, Skye and Shelley, at the Folded Owl. If you care about diversity, equity and inclusion, social justice, political advocacy and social media, I highly recommend signing up.

What podcast do we need to be listening to?

I quit listening to daily news podcasts because my anxiety was out of control. Instead, I have been listening to audiobooks — a LOT of Brené Brown, business books and habit-building guides. My favorite book of the year, so far, is “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown, which has its own podcast. This book helped me put a finger on why I have struggled with corporate cultures in my past. After listening to the book via Audible, I subscribed to the podcast and started a book club with my team at Siren Media. I’m re-reading the audiobook with them, and we’re going through the guided group reading discussions that you can find for free on her website. And, if you love spooky ghost story podcasts as much as I do, I am a die-hard fan of Spooked by Glynn Washington. I’ve listened to every episode there is!

What social accounts should we be following?

If you’re in Oklahoma: The Lost Ogle. I hope every Oklahoman follows them. These guys do an amazing job of talking about news and drama that bigger outlets don’t touch. And, they do it in an Onion-esque way. I always get a laugh out of their writing. If you’re in Oklahoma City: OKCTalk. They do a great job of covering new restaurants, events and more. For laughs: @tonytalks on Instagram, @leigh_mcnasty on Instagram, Erin Miller on TikTok or Instagram @ overthemoonfaraway. If you’re a woman looking to build wealth and financial strategy, @herfirst100k on Instagram

What music should we add to our playlist right now?

I am of Pacific Islander descent and grew up hearing my grandfather’s stories of life on Guam and surviving the horrific Japanese occupation of the island as a boy. Anything remotely Polynesian or Micronesian reminds me of him and is sentimental to me. I was recently introduced to Hawaiian Slack Key artist Keola Beamer. It’s not your stereotypical steel guitar sound that you might think of. This form of music has very interesting roots and has helped me feel ground myself in the mornings before the busy day takes of.

Is there any other media you consume that we’ve missed?

What we consume after our “busy” hours is important, too. Your media diet is what you’re feeding your brain, after all. If I feel like I’m taking myself too seriously, I’ll try to watch something funny here and there like stand-up comedy, improv (“Whose Line is it Anyway?”), sketch comedy, etc. If you’re looking for a new standup special to watch on Netflix, I’d highly recommend “Catherine Cohen’s The Twist ...? She’s Gorgeous.” My husband and I choked laughing at this special. She’s amazing.