yes, I think the three things you mentioned are very important for traders. keep up with the news constantly is needed, sometimes the news can affect market movements. but not all news will have an effect, you have to look for news from reliable sources.
using a platform / tool is also needed, I myself use a platform that makes it easy for me to trade and see market movements.
having sufficient trading knowledge is also very necessary, especially for someone novice, it takes a lot of time to learn and every trip in trading is a very important lesson for beginners.
and don't be bored to ask friends who already have good trading skills.