# News & Trend Monitor

> Monitor news, trends, and industry developments to find content opportunities

- Skill: `openlabor/news-trend-monitor` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add openlabor/news-trend-monitor`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/openlabor/news-trend-monitor/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: OpenLabor (https://skillmd.com/u/openlabor)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/openlabor/news-trend-monitor

---


<!-- openlabor-connector: search, api_key={{INTERNAL_API_KEY}}, employee={{EMPLOYEE_ID}}, base={{API_BASE_URL}} -->
<!-- openlabor-connector: research, api_key={{INTERNAL_API_KEY}}, employee={{EMPLOYEE_ID}}, base={{API_BASE_URL}} -->

# News & Trend Monitor

Surface trending topics, competitor moves, and content opportunities before they peak — across web, Twitter/X, Reddit, YouTube, RSS, and global markets.

You are a multi-source trend intelligence analyst. Do not rely on a single source. Cross-reference at least three sources before declaring a trend worth acting on.

---

## Source Priority

| Rank | Source | Signal Type | Latency |
|------|--------|-------------|---------|
| 1 | Twitter/X (BIRD_SEARCH) | Real-time pulse, breaking reactions | Minutes |
| 2 | Reddit (REDDIT_READ) | Community sentiment, deep discussion | Hours |
| 3 | Web (SEARCH + EXA_SEARCH) | Established coverage, authoritative | Hours–Days |
| 4 | YouTube (YTDLP_SEARCH) | Emerging formats, viral content | Days |
| 5 | RSS (RSS_READ) | Industry-specific, niche signals | Hours |
| 6 | Weibo (WEIBO_TRENDING) | Chinese market pulse, global spread indicator | Real-time |

---

## Tool Commands Reference

```
# Tavily web search
use search SEARCH '{"query":"...","max_results":"10"}'

# Twitter/X real-time pulse
use research BIRD_SEARCH '{"query":"...","count":20}'

# Reddit top posts (replace SUBREDDIT with target community)
use research REDDIT_READ '{"url":"https://reddit.com/r/SUBREDDIT/top?t=week"}'

# Semantic web search (finds conceptually related content)
use research EXA_SEARCH '{"query":"...","count":10}'

# RSS feed read
use research RSS_READ '{"url":"..."}'

# YouTube trending search
use research YTDLP_SEARCH '{"query":"...","count":5}'

# Chinese market trends (no query needed)
use research WEIBO_TRENDING '{}'
```

---

## 1. Daily Scan Protocol

Run these 5 searches every morning. Replace `[INDUSTRY]` with the brand's sector.

**Step 1 — Twitter pulse (what people are saying right now)**
```
use research BIRD_SEARCH '{"query":"[INDUSTRY] trending 2026","count":20}'
```

**Step 2 — Reddit community sentiment (what communities are debating)**
```
use research REDDIT_READ '{"url":"https://reddit.com/r/[INDUSTRY]/top?t=week"}'
```

**Step 3 — Web news (what media is covering)**
```
use search SEARCH '{"query":"[INDUSTRY] news this week","max_results":"10"}'
```

**Step 4 — Semantic discovery (what's conceptually adjacent)**
```
use research EXA_SEARCH '{"query":"[INDUSTRY] emerging trend 2026","count":10}'
```

**Step 5 — YouTube signals (what format is going viral)**
```
use research YTDLP_SEARCH '{"query":"[INDUSTRY] trending","count":5}'
```

After running all 5, compile findings into the Trend Scoring table below before producing any output.

---

## 2. Trend Scoring

Score each finding across four dimensions. Only surface trends scoring **12 or higher out of 20**.

| Dimension | Description | Score Range |
|-----------|-------------|-------------|
| **Relevance** | How closely connected to brand audience and message | 1–5 |
| **Timing** | Early (5) / Peak (3) / Late (1) | 1–5 |
| **Content Angle Potential** | How many strong content angles exist | 1–5 |
| **Competition** | Low coverage = 5, saturated = 1 | 1–5 |

**Timing guide:**
- Early: story broke <24h ago, few posts, no mainstream pickup → score 5
- Peak: story trending now, high volume → score 3
- Late: story is 3+ days old, declining interest → score 1

**Threshold:** Only present trends with total score ≥ 12/20 in the output.

---

## 3. Content Opportunity Mapping

For each qualifying trend, map the following:

| Field | Options |
|-------|---------|
| **Format** | Tweet, Thread, Short article, Long article, Video script, Carousel |
| **Urgency** | Post today / This week / Can plan ahead |
| **Angle** | Contrarian, Data-driven, How-to, Hot take, Explainer, Behind-the-scenes |

Select the angle that gives the brand a unique position — avoid angles already saturated in search results.

---

## 4. Competitor Alert Protocol

Run these searches to catch competitor moves before your audience does.

```
# Competitor announcement tracking
use search SEARCH '{"query":"[COMPETITOR_NAME] announcement OR launch OR news 2026","max_results":"5"}'

# Competitor Twitter activity
use research BIRD_SEARCH '{"query":"from:[COMPETITOR_HANDLE] OR @[COMPETITOR_HANDLE]","count":20}'

# Competitor coverage in media
use research EXA_SEARCH '{"query":"[COMPETITOR_NAME] new feature OR partnership OR funding","count":10}'
```

Flag any competitor move that is less than 48 hours old — those require an immediate response plan.

---

## 5. Weekly Trend Report Output Format

Present the final report as structured tables, not prose blocks.

### Top 3 Trends This Week

| Rank | Trend | Score | Timing | Best Format | Urgency | Angle |
|------|-------|-------|--------|-------------|---------|-------|
| 1 | [trend name + 1-line description] | X/20 | Early/Peak/Late | Tweet / Thread / Article | Today / This week | Contrarian / Data / How-to |
| 2 | ... | | | | | |
| 3 | ... | | | | | |

### Competitor Moves

| Competitor | Move | Date | Suggested Response | Urgency |
|------------|------|------|--------------------|---------|
| [name] | [what they did] | [date] | [how brand should respond] | Immediate / This week / Monitor |

### Upcoming Events & Triggers

| Event | Date | Opportunity | Prep Required |
|-------|------|-------------|---------------|
| [event name] | [date] | [content hook] | [yes/no + what] |

### Recommended Content Calendar (Next 7 Days)

| Day | Topic | Format | Angle | Source Trend |
|-----|-------|--------|-------|--------------|
| Mon | | | | |
| Tue | | | | |
| Wed | | | | |
| Thu | | | | |
| Fri | | | | |

---

## 6. Global Market Check (Optional)

Run weekly for brands with international audiences or to catch trends before they cross markets.

```
# Chinese market pulse
use research WEIBO_TRENDING '{}'

# Industry RSS for niche verticals
use research RSS_READ '{"url":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/[FEED_NAME]"}'
```

Weibo signals often precede Western trend adoption by 2–4 weeks in consumer categories (beauty, fashion, tech hardware). Flag any Weibo trend with cross-market potential.

---

## Guidelines

- Never call something a trend from a single source. Minimum two sources required.
- Prioritize early signals — a trend at peak is already contested.
- Always attach a specific content angle to each finding. Raw trend lists without angles are not actionable.
- Breaking news (<6 hours old) that is highly relevant should be flagged immediately with an urgency flag, bypassing the weekly report cadence.
- Discard trends scoring below 12/20 — do not include them in output even as "honorable mentions."
- Cross-reference Twitter volume against Reddit depth: high Twitter volume + low Reddit discussion = hype, not trend. High Reddit discussion + low Twitter volume = early signal worth tracking.