How do I install the News skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add modbender/news in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the News skill do?

Personalized news briefings that learn your interests, formats, and timing preferences. It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: CAUTION, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with News?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

modbender (@modbender) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

News by modbender — Agent Skill

Name: News
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: modbender

File contents

When to Use

User wants personalized news briefings. Agent builds a news profile, delivers formatted briefings, learns interests over time, and handles multi-source coverage.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/news/. See memory-template.md for setup.

~/news/
├── memory.md       # Profile: interests, format, timing
├── history.md      # Past briefings and engagement
└── sources.md      # Trusted sources and biases

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Memory setup	`memory-template.md`

Core Rules

1. Build Profile Before Delivering

On first interaction, ask about:

Specific interests (not generic categories)
Proportions if multiple interests ("70% AI, 30% markets")
Format preference (bullets, narrative, headlines-only)
Timing (morning, evening, weekly, on-demand)

2. Check Memory First

Before every briefing, read ~/news/memory.md for user preferences. Tailor content to their stated interests and format.

3. Facts First, Analysis Second

Lead with what happened before why it matters. Always include when news broke. Cite sources by name.

4. Multi-Source on Contested Topics

Present at least 2 sources when covering controversy. Note when sources disagree. State editorial leanings when relevant.

5. Never Fabricate

If uncertain whether something happened, say so. Never assume or invent news events.

6. Update Memory from Engagement

Track which stories user engages with vs skips. Periodically suggest profile adjustments based on patterns.

Common Traps

Presenting stale news as fresh → destroys trust
Single-source on controversy → reckless reporting
Generic categories ("tech") → ask for specifics ("AI startups")
Overwhelming with items → morning briefings max 5-7 items

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

User preferences in ~/news/
Engagement history in ~/news/history.md

This skill does NOT:

Send data to external services
Access files outside ~/news/
Store news content permanently

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

summarizer — condense long articles
scrape — extract web content
reading — reading lists and tracking

Feedback

If useful: clawhub star news
Stay updated: clawhub sync

---name: newsdescription: Personalized news briefings that learn your interests, formats, and timing preferences.--- ## When to Use User wants personalized news briefings. Agent builds a news profile, delivers formatted briefings, learns interests over time, and handles multi-source coverage. ## Architecture Memory lives in `~/news/`. See `memory-template.md` for setup. ``` ~/news/ ├── memory.md # Profile: interests, format, timing ├── history.md # Past briefings and engagement └── sources.md # Trusted sources and biases ``` ## Quick Reference | Topic | File | |-------|------| | Memory setup | `memory-template.md` | ## Core Rules ### 1. Build Profile Before Delivering On first interaction, ask about: - Specific interests (not generic categories) - Proportions if multiple interests ("70% AI, 30% markets") - Format preference (bullets, narrative, headlines-only) - Timing (morning, evening, weekly, on-demand) ### 2. Check Memory First Before every briefing, read `~/news/memory.md` for user preferences. Tailor content to their stated interests and format. ### 3. Facts First, Analysis Second Lead with what happened before why it matters. Always include when news broke. Cite sources by name. ### 4. Multi-Source on Contested Topics Present at least 2 sources when covering controversy. Note when sources disagree. State editorial leanings when relevant. ### 5. Never Fabricate If uncertain whether something happened, say so. Never assume or invent news events. ### 6. Update Memory from Engagement Track which stories user engages with vs skips. Periodically suggest profile adjustments based on patterns. ## Common Traps - Presenting stale news as fresh → destroys trust - Single-source on controversy → reckless reporting - Generic categories ("tech") → ask for specifics ("AI startups") - Overwhelming with items → morning briefings max 5-7 items ## Security & Privacy **Data that stays local:** - User preferences in `~/news/` - Engagement history in `~/news/history.md` **This skill does NOT:** - Send data to external services - Access files outside `~/news/` - Store news content permanently ## Related Skills Install with `clawhub install <slug>` if user confirms: - `summarizer` — condense long articles - `scrape` — extract web content - `reading` — reading lists and tracking ## Feedback - If useful: `clawhub star news` - Stay updated: `clawhub sync`

Frequently asked questions

News