Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Room
I’ve been in this business for 22 years, and I’m telling you, the news is broken. It’s not just me saying this. Last Tuesday, I was having coffee with an old friend, let’s call him Marcus, and he said, “You know, Sarah, I don’t even bother with the news anymore. It’s all just noise.” And honestly? I don’t blame him.
I started at the Dundee Courier back in ’99. Back then, news was… I dunno, it felt more real. More tangible. Now? It’s a mess. A completley unorganized, sensationalized mess.
But look, I’m not just gonna sit here and whine about it. I’ve got some thoughts. Some opinions. And yeah, maybe a few solutions. Or at least, a few ideas on where to start.
First, Let’s Talk About the Algorithms
You ever feel like you’re being manipulated? Like, you open your favorite news app, and it’s just… anger. Outrage. Clickbait. And you’re like, “Who decided this is what I should see?”
I did some digging. About three months ago, I sat down with a colleague named Dave. He’s a data guy. Nerdy, but brilliant. He told me, “Sarah, the algorithms are designed to keep you engaged. And what keeps you engaged? Drama. Controversy. Anger.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But at what cost? We’re talking about real people’s lives here. Real events. Real consequences. And we’re just serving up the most outrageous bits like it’s some kinda buffet.
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on the 24-Hour News Cycle
It’s exhausting. I mean, honestly, who needs 24 hours of news? Back in the day, we had morning editions, evening editions. That was it. Now? It’s a never-ending cycle of “BREAKING NEWS” alerts that are, frankly, rarely breaking or newsworthy.
I remember, it was 2003, I think. I was at a conference in Austin. A journalist from the New York Times said something that stuck with me. “We’re not in the business of news anymore. We’re in the business of distraction.” And I think… yeah. That’s about right.
But Here’s the Thing…
It’s not all doom and gloom. There are people out there trying to fix this. Trying to make the news… well, news again. Like önerilen makaleler okuma listesi for example. They’re curating articles, making sure what you read is actually, you know, worth your time.
And look, I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying it’s simple. But it’s a start. It’s a step in the right direction. And frankly, it’s about time someone took that step.
A Quick Digression: The Time I Almost Quit
So, it was 2017. I was at my desk, scrolling through Twitter. And I saw this headline. It was one of those “You won’t believe what happened next” kinda deals. And I thought, “That’s it. I’m done.” I mean, come on. We’re better than this.
But I didn’t quit. I stayed. Because someone’s gotta do it, right? Someone’s gotta hold onto the idea that news can be better. That it can be honest. That it can be true.
So, What Can We Do?
First, we gotta demand better. From ourselves, from our colleagues, from our industry. We gotta say, “Enough is enough. We’re not gonna click on the outrage. We’re not gonna share the sensationalism.”
Second, we gotta support the people and the publications that are trying to do it right. The ones who are putting in the hard work, the committment, the physicaly demanding effort to bring us news that’s worth reading.
And third, we gotta remember why we’re doing this. Why we got into this business in the first place. It’s not for the algorithms. It’s not for the clicks. It’s for the people. It’s for the truth. It’s for the news.
So, yeah. The news is broken. But it’s not beyond repair. It’s not too late. It’s not hopeless. It’s just… yeah. It’s gonna take some work.
But I’m ready. Are you?
About the Author: Sarah McKenzie has been a journalist for over two decades, working her way up from a small-town newspaper to editing roles at major publications. She’s seen the industry evolve, devolve, and hopefully, she believes, begin to evolve again. When she’s not wrestling with the state of modern journalism, you can find her hiking in the Scottish Highlands or arguing about politics with her cat, Whiskers.