Start with the structure
Most news articles are built like a pyramid, with the most important facts first and background further down. That means the headline, the opening two paragraphs and the final paragraph often give you about eighty percent of the value. Read those first, then decide whether the middle deserves your time.
Ask five simple questions
Who is involved, what happened, when, where, and why does it matter? If you can answer all five in a sentence each, you understand the story. If one is missing, that is the part to hunt for in the body of the article instead of reading every line from the top.
Scan for names, numbers and dates
Facts tend to hide in specifics. Run your eye down the page and pause on people's names, figures, percentages and dates. These anchor the story. Descriptive passages and scene-setting can usually be skipped on a first pass without losing the point.
Read the quotes with a purpose
Quotes show what people said, but they are also where spin often lives. Read them to learn who is taking which position, not to be persuaded by them. A good rule is to ask whether the quote adds a fact or only an emotion.
Know when to slow down
Skimming is fine for most stories, but some deserve a full read: anything affecting your health, money, legal rights or local community. Use the five-minute method as a filter, then give the full attention to the few stories that earn it.
Use a summary as a map, not a replacement
A short summary is a good way to decide whether an article is worth the full read, and it is useful when you only need the gist. It should never be the only thing you read before acting on something important. Check the original for any detail that matters.