Summarize news articles in a few lines, with the facts and the gaps
A friend sends five links, your boss forwards a long feature, and you just want to know what happened. Send the articles to your todo.is agent and it pulls out the key facts, what is new, who is quoted and what is still unconfirmed, and flags where different outlets disagree.
The prompt
- Summarize these news articles: [ARTICLE LINKS OR FILES]. For each one give the headline, outlet and date, a 3-sentence summary, the key facts and numbers, who is quoted, and anything the article says is not yet confirmed. Keep opinion separate from reported facts. If several articles cover the same story, merge them into one summary and point out where they disagree. Write it for [WHO IT IS FOR] in [LENGTH]. If a link is behind a paywall, tell me instead of guessing.
What to change
- [ARTICLE LINKS OR FILES]: Paste links, or attach PDFs or screenshots of the articles.
- [WHO IT IS FOR]: e.g. "me, I know the topic", "my team, no background" or "a 12-year-old".
- [LENGTH]: e.g. "under 150 words per story" or "5 bullet points total".
Example result
- Story 1: City approves new tram line (3 articles merged)
- Sources: Riverside Daily (Oct 6), Metro Herald (Oct 6), City Wire (Oct 7)
- Summary: The city council voted to build a 9 km tram line linking the train station to the university campus. Construction is planned to start next year. Supporters say it will cut car traffic; some shop owners worry about two years of roadworks.
- Key facts
- • Vote passed 31 to 14
- • Route: 9 km, 14 stops
- • Funding: part city budget, part regional grant
- Who is quoted
- • The transport councillor (for the plan)
- • A shopkeepers' association spokesperson (worried about roadworks)
- Where the articles disagree
- • Riverside Daily says the line opens in 2030; Metro Herald says "early 2031". The council's own statement gives no date.
- Not yet confirmed
- • The size of the regional grant
- • Whether the main avenue will close to cars during works
- Opinion pieces
- • City Wire's article is an editorial arguing the route should reach the hospital. That is the paper's view, not a reported fact.
- Story 2: Heat pump subsidy changes
- Source: Energy Weekly (Oct 5)
- Summary: The national subsidy for home heat pumps will be paid faster but will cover a smaller share of the cost from January. Applications made before the end of December follow the old rules.
- Key facts
- • New rules from January 1
- • Payment time cut from months to weeks, according to the ministry
- Not yet confirmed
- • The final percentage, which still needs a vote
- Read next
- If you only read one, read the council statement linked in Riverside Daily: it is short and has the route map.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and paste your article links, or attach PDFs or screenshots.
- Set who the summary is for and how long it should be, then send it in todo.is or forward it on WhatsApp.
- Your agent reads each article, merges duplicates and returns summaries with facts, quotes and open questions.
- Ask "explain the background" or "what do other outlets say" to go further on one story.
Tips for a better result
- Send several articles on one story. Comparing outlets is where the most useful details show up.
- Ask for facts and opinion to be separated. Editorials and analysis pieces often read like news.
- Check the date on each summary. Old articles get shared as if they were new.
- For a regular digest, turn it into a morning to-do with your list of topics instead of pasting links.
summarize news articles: FAQ
- Can AI summarize paywalled articles? Only what it can legally read. If an article is behind a paywall, your agent tells you instead of guessing; you can attach the text if you have a subscription.
- How long should a news summary be? Three to five sentences per story is enough for most readers, with key facts as bullets. Ask for one line per story if you just want headlines.
- Does the summary keep the source? Yes. Each summary lists the outlet, date and link so you can read the full article and check any detail.
- Can it summarize articles in other languages? Yes. Send articles in another language and ask for the summary in English or any language you prefer.
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