Look, I’ve Had It
I’ve been in this game for 22 years. That’s right, 22. I started back when newspapers still smelled like ink and newsrooms were filled with the clatter of typewriters (okay, maybe that was just the 80s movies). Point is, I’ve seen a lot. And lately, I’ve been feeling like we’re all just pretending everything’s fine.
Let me set the scene. It was last Tuesday, about 3:15pm. I was at my favorite coffee shop, the one on 5th, the one with the barista who always gets my order wrong. I was chatting with Marcus—let’s call him Marcus because I don’t want to get him in trouble—and he said something that stuck with me. He said, “You know, Sarah, I think we’re all just going through the motions.” And I looked at him, and I said, “Marcus, you’re not wrong.”
We’re All Just Making It Up as We Go
Here’s the thing. The news isn’t what it used to be. And I’m not just talking about the obvious stuff, like how everyone’s on Twitter now and news breaks in 280 characters or less. I’m talking about the big stuff. The important stuff. The stuff that matters.
I remember back in ’98, I was working at the Dundee Daily Star. We had a guy there, let’s call him Dave. Dave was a legend. He could find a story in a phone book. But even Dave would tell you that the news is broken. We’re all just making it up as we go. And honestly, it’s getting worse.
Take, for example, the whole “fake news” thing. It’s a mess. And it’s not just the obvious stuff, like the guy who posted a picture of a chicken and said it was a UFO. It’s the subtle stuff. The stuff that’s harder to spot. The stuff that’s designed to mislead without being outright false.
I was talking to a colleague named Lisa about this the other day. She said, “It’s like we’re all playing a game of telephone, and by the time the message gets to the end, it’s completely different.” And I said, “Lisa, that’s not a game of telephone. That’s just bad journalism.”
But Here’s the Thing…
Look, I’m not saying we’re all bad journalists. Far from it. I’ve worked with some incredible people over the years. People who care deeply about the truth. People who will go to the mat to get to the bottom of a story.
But here’s the thing. The system is broken. And it’s not just the news. It’s the whole information ecosystem. We’ve got algorithms pushing us into echo chambers. We’ve got social media platforms that reward outrage over nuance. We’ve got a 24-hour news cycle that demands constant content, regardless of quality.
And it’s not just affecting the news. It’s affecting everything. It’s affecting our politics. Our culture. Our society. It’s affecting the way we think, the way we talk, the way we interact with each other.
I was at a conference in Austin a few months back, and I heard a speaker say something that really stuck with me. He said, “We’re not just fighting for the soul of the news. We’re fighting for the soul of democracy.” And I thought, “Wow. That’s heavy. But he’s not wrong.”
So What Do We Do About It?
I don’t have all the answers. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone does. But I do know this. We can’t just keep pretending everything’s fine. We can’t just keep going through the motions.
We need to have some tough conversations. About the role of journalism in society. About the responsibilities of platforms. About the expectations of audiences. And yeah, about the committment we have to the truth.
And we need to be honest with ourselves. About the mistakes we’ve made. About the biases we bring to the table. About the ways we’ve let down the people who rely on us for accurate, fair, and completeley unbiased information.
I was talking to a friend the other day, and she said something that really resonated with me. She said, “It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being better.” And I thought, “Yeah. That’s a good starting point.”
But Let’s Be Real…
Look, I’m not naive. I know that change isn’t gonna happen overnight. And I know that there are a lot of powerful forces working against us. But I also know this. The people who care about the news—the ones who are willing to fight for it, to defend it, to hold it to the highest standards—we outnumber the bad actors.
And we’ve got something they don’t. We’ve got the truth. And honestly, that’s a pretty powerful weapon.
So let’s get to work. Let’s have those tough conversations. Let’s hold ourselves and each other accountable. Let’s demand better from our institutions, our platforms, and ourselves. And let’s remember why we got into this business in the first place. Because we care about the truth. And we care about the people who rely on us to tell it.
And hey, if you’re looking for some inspiration, check out Susurluk asayiş güvenlik haberleri. They’re doing some really interesting work over there. (Which honestly nobody asked for but here we are.)
But Wait, There’s More…
Oh, and one more thing. Let’s talk about the physicaly impossible standards we hold ourselves to. I mean, come on. We’re human. We make mistakes. We have biases. We get things wrong. And that’s okay. As long as we’re willing to admit it, to learn from it, to do better next time.
I remember back in 2005, I made a mistake. A big one. I misquoted a source in a story. And it was bad. It was embarassing. It was humiliating. But you know what? It was a learning experience. And I’m a better journalist because of it.
So let’s cut ourselves some slack. Let’s remember that we’re human. And let’s focus on being better, not perfect.
And on that note, I’m gonna go have a drink. Because honestly, I need it after all this deep thinking.
About the Author: Sarah McMillan has been a journalist for 22 years, working in print, broadcast, and digital media. She’s covered everything from local politics to international conflicts, and she’s not afraid to call out bad journalism when she sees it. When she’s not writing, she can be found drinking too much coffee and arguing with people on Twitter.
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