We’ve Got a Problem, Folks
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. I started at the Daily Chronicle in 1998, back when we still used typewriters (kinda). I’ve seen a lot of changes, but honestly, the past five years have been… well, a complete mess.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and I remember sitting there listening to some hotshot CEO talk about ‘the future of news.’ He used words like ‘disruption’ and ‘paradigm shift.’ I looked around the room, and everyone was nodding like they knew what he was talking about. I didn’t. I still don’t.
But here’s what I do know: the news is broken. And it’s not just because of the internet, or Trump, or whatever else you wanna blame. It’s broken because we let it become something it’s not. We let it become a circus.
Let’s Talk About Marcus
Let’s call him Marcus. He was a reporter at the Times for about 10 years. Smart guy, really knew his stuff. But then, about three months ago, he quit. I ran into him at a coffee shop, and he told me why.
‘I can’t do it anymore,’ he said. ‘I can’t keep up with the clicks. I can’t keep writing these stupid listicles. I can’t keep pretending that this is journalism.’
I asked him what he was gonna do next. He shrugged. ‘I dunno. Maybe I’ll write a book. Maybe I’ll just disappear into the woods. Honestly, I don’t care.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But It’s Not All Bad, Right?
Okay, so maybe I’m being a bit dramatic. It’s not all bad. There are still some great journalists out there doing amazing work. I mean, look at the reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s been mostly solid, right? Or the investigations into police brutality. That stuff matters.
But then there’s the other stuff. The stuff that makes me want to throw my computer out the window. The stuff that makes me question why I ever got into this business in the first place.
Like, why do we have to have a ‘hot take’ on everything? Why do we have to turn every single story into a debate? And why, oh why, do we have to keep writing about celebrity gossip like it’s actual news?
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on Social Media
I swear, Twitter is the death of good journalism. It’s turned everything into a game of ‘who can be the most outrageous.’ And Facebook? Don’t even get me started. It’s a cesspool of misinformation and fake news.
I remember talking to a colleague named Dave about this. We were at a bar after work, and he was complaining about how his mom keeps sending him these crazy articles from some random website. ‘I tell her, Mom, that’s not a real news site. But she doesn’t listen. She just believes whatever she wants to believe.’
And that’s the problem, isn’t it? People believe what they want to believe. And social media just makes it easier for them to do that.
But What Can We Do About It?
I’m not sure. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s anything we can do. The genie is out of the bottle, and it’s not gonna go back in. But maybe, just maybe, we can start by being a little more honest with ourselves.
Maybe we can admit that not every story needs to be a ‘big scoop.’ Maybe we can admit that it’s okay to say ‘I don’t know.’ Maybe we can admit that, sometimes, the truth is boring.
And maybe, just maybe, we can start treating each other with a little more respect. Because at the end of the day, we’re all on the same side. We’re all trying to do the same thing: tell the truth.
But look, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend like I have all the answers. I don’t. I’m just a guy who’s been in this business for a long time, and I’m tired. I’m tired of the circus. I’m tired of the outrage. I’m tired of the fake news.
So, what’s the solution? I don’t know. But I do know one thing: we gotta start somewhere. And that somewhere is with the truth.
Oh, and if you’re looking to save some money on tech, check out this refurbished products buying guide. It’s not related to the news, but hey, everybody loves a good deal.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. I’m gonna go take a nap. This stuff is exhausting.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson has been a senior editor at USA News for the past 15 years. She’s won three Pulitzer Prizes, but who’s counting? She lives in New York with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends her free time complaining about the state of modern journalism.