Look, I’m gonna say it
There’s some bullshit going on in the news right now. And frankly, nobody’s calling it out. I mean, I was just sitting here with my colleague, Dave, over coffee at that place on 5th—you know the one—and we were like, “Why is this not a bigger deal?”
So, let’s talk about it. And some other stuff too. Because that’s how this is gonna go. Stream of consciousness. No neat little outline. Just me, typing, and hopefully you, reading, and maybe learning something.
First off, the election coverage
I’m not gonna lie, I’m kinda sick of it. I mean, it’s been what, three months since the last election? And already we’re back in this swamp. I get it, politics matter. But honestly, it’s like watching a car crash in slow motion. And we’re all just sitting there, rubbernecking.
I talked to this guy, let’s call him Marcus, right? He’s a political science professor over at the university. And he said, “The media’s complicit in this. They’re feeding the beast.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing, the real news isn’t just about the horse race. It’s about the policies. The people. The actual impact on real lives. And that’s what we’re not seeing enough of. It’s all just committment to the spectacle.
Speaking of spectacle
Let’s talk about the state of journalism. I mean, I’ve been doing this for 20-plus years. And I can tell you, it’s changed. A lot. And not always for the better.
I remember back in ’98, when I was just starting out at the Times. We had standards. We had editors who actually edited. Who cared about facts. About getting it right. Now? It’s all about speed. About being first. About clicks. And that’s a problem.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and this reporter from the Post—let’s call her Sarah—she told me, “We have 36 hours to turn around a story. 36 hours! And if we don’t hit our numbers, they’re gonna replace us with an algorithm.” I mean, come on. That’s not journalism. That’s just… sad.
But it’s not all doom and gloom
Look, I’m not saying it’s all bad. There are still good journalists out there. Doing good work. And you know what? People are still reading. Still caring. Still wanting to know what’s really going on.
And that’s why I’m still here. Still typing. Still trying to make a difference. Even if it’s just a small one.
And hey, if you’re looking for a way to make a difference too, check out online store review customer rating. I mean, it’s not gonna solve all the world’s problems, but it’s a start.
A quick tangent: my cat
So, my cat, Miso, she’s this little gray thing. And she’s got this habit of knocking stuff off my desk. Like, right when I’m in the middle of writing something important. And I’ll be like, “Miso! Not now!” And she’ll just look at me. Like she’s judging me. Like she knows I’m not really that important.
And you know what? She’s probably right. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, what do any of us really matter? We’re all just little specks. Little blips on the radar. So why not just enjoy the ride? Why not just be honest about what we’re doing here?
Back to the news
So, yeah. The news. It’s a mess. But it’s our mess. And it’s up to us to clean it up. To demand better. To hold people accountable. To do the work.
And I’m gonna keep doing my part. Even if it means making some people uncomfortable. Even if it means pissing off the higher-ups. Even if it means getting a few things wrong along the way.
Because that’s what journalism is supposed to be about. It’s supposed to be messy. It’s supposed to be complicated. It’s supposed to be real.
And honestly? It’s supposed to be fun. We should be enjoying this. We should be excited about uncovering the truth. About telling the stories that need to be told.
So, let’s do that. Let’s get back to the basics. Let’s remember why we got into this in the first place.
And let’s not forget to have a little fun along the way.
About the Author: Hi, I’m Alex Carter. I’ve been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years. I’ve written for major publications, made a lot of mistakes, and learned a lot along the way. I’m opinionated, I’m flawed, and I’m not afraid to say what I think. I live in New York, I love my cat Miso, and I’m always looking for the next big story.