Look, I’m Gonna Say It
I’ve been in this game for over two decades. I’ve seen alot, I’ve done alot, and honestly? We’re all just winging it. That’s the truth. I’m not saying we’re lying, but let’s be real here. The news industry is a mess, and it’s only getting messier.
It started back in ’98, my first job at the Daily Chronicle in Manchester. My editor, let’s call him Marcus, used to say, ‘Just get me something, anything, by 5pm.’ And that was it. That was the game. Fill the space, hit the deadline, and hope for the best.
And nothing has changed. If anything, it’s worse now. The pressure to be first is insane. Quality? That’s secondary. We’re all just trying to keep our heads above water in this sea of misinformation and nonsense.
Breaking News: It’s Broken
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin (yes, I know, I’m a Brit in Texas, deal with it). A colleague named Dave leaned over during a panel and said, ‘You know what’s funny? Nobody knows what they’re talking about anymore.’ And he’s right. We’re all just guessing, really. We take a few facts, throw in some conjecture, and boom—news.
Take the whole ‘Russian collusion’ thing. I mean, I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but look at the coverage. It was a circus. And we were all ringmasters, more or less. We took a story that was basically a political football and ran with it until it burst. And then what? We moved on to the next thing. That’s how it works.
And don’t even get me started on social media. It’s a nightmare. I was talking to a friend last night, and she said, ‘You know what’s crazy? People believe what they see on Twitter more than they believe actual news.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, because we’re not doing our jobs right.’ We’re not. We’re not telling stories; we’re just regurgitating press releases and tweets.
But Here’s the Thing
I’m not saying we should all just throw in the towel. I’m saying we need to be honest. We need to admit that we don’t have all the answers. We need to stop pretending that we’re objective, because we’re not. We all have biases, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is pretending we don’t.
I remember this one time, I was working on a story about a local council. I had this source, let’s call him John, who told me something that was, frankly, a bit dodgy. But it was a good story, you know? So I ran with it. And it turned out to be completley wrong. I felt like an idiot. But I learned a lesson: don’t believe everything you’re told, even if it makes a good story.
And that’s the thing. We need to be better. We need to be more critical, more skeptical, more honest. We need to stop chasing clicks and start chasing the truth. Even if it’s messy, even if it’s complicated, even if it’s not what people want to hear.
So What’s the Solution?
I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. But I think it starts with admitting that we’re not perfect. We make mistakes. We have biases. We’re human. And that’s okay. But we need to own it. We need to be transparent. We need to show our work, so to speak.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to slow down. The 24-hour news cycle is killing us. It’s killing the industry, and it’s killing the truth. We need to take a breath, take a step back, and think. Think about what we’re saying, think about who we’re quoting, think about what we’re putting out into the world.
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But look, I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s not. It’s hard, and it’s messy, and it’s complicated. But it’s our job. And if we’re not going to do it right, then who will?
And Another Thing
I was gonna wrap this up, but I just remembered something. A few months ago, I was at a bar with some friends, and we got to talking about fake news. And one of them said, ‘You know what’s the worst part? People don’t even care if it’s true or not. They just want to be outraged.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, and we’re feeding that beast.’ We’re feeding it, and it’s growing, and it’s getting uglier. And it’s our fault.
So maybe, just maybe, we need to stop feeding it. Maybe we need to start telling stories that matter, stories that make people think, stories that make people care. Not about being outraged, but about understanding. About empathy. About the truth.
But hey, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong. I mean, I probably am wrong. But that’s okay. Because that’s the point. We’re all just figuring it out as we go.
About the Author: I’m Sarah, a senior editor with more than 20 years of experience in the news industry. I’ve worked for major publications, covered everything from politics to celebrity gossip, and have a deep love for the chaos that is journalism. I’m opinionated, flawed, and always trying to figure it out. You can find me ranting on Twitter or drinking too much coffee in a London café.
