Look, I’m Gonna Say It: Journalism Is Messy
I’ve been in this game since the late ’90s, and let me tell you, nobody knows what the hell they’re doing. That’s right. I said it. (Well, typed it. You get the point.)
I remember sitting in a conference in Austin back in 2003, listening to some hotshot editor talk about the ‘future of news.’ He was all about ‘convergance’ and ‘multiplatform content delivery.’ I mean, honestly? I had no idea what he was talking about. And I was supposed to be the expert.
Fast forward to today. It’s worse. Or better? I don’t know. It’s just… yeah.
Let’s call him Marcus. He’s a reporter I used to work with. Smart guy, but always a bit of a mess. We were grabbing coffee at the place on 5th last Tuesday, and he told me, ‘You know, Sarah, I think we’re all just making it up as we go along.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
Breaking News: It’s Broken
You ever notice how every news outlet has the same breaking news stories? That’s because we’re all stealing from each other. I mean, ‘borrowing.’ Let’s call it borrowing. But honestly, it’s stealing.
I was editing a piece last week, and I swear, I saw the same sentence in three different articles. Word for word. It was like some kind of journalistic groundhog day. And the worst part? Nobody cared. It’s like we’ve all just accepted that this is how it’s gonna be.
But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be this way. We could actually, you know, try. Try to be original. Try to be accurate. Try to give a damn.
And look, I get it. The internet is a vast, chaotic place. Information is coming at us from every angle. It’s hard to keep up. But that’s no excuse for complacency. We owe it to our readers to do better.
The Algorithm Will See You Now
Don’t even get me started on algorithms. I mean, seriously. Who decided that machines should be in charge of what we read? It’s like we’ve handed over the keys to the kingdom to a bunch of ones and zeros.
I had a colleague named Dave who used to say, ‘The algorithm is the enemy.’ And you know what? He had a point. Because the algorithm doesn’t care about good journalism. It doesn’t care about truth. It only cares about clicks. And that, my friends, is a problem.
I was talking to a friend about this the other day. She’s not in the industry, but she’s smart. She said, ‘It’s like you’re all just feeding the beast. And the beast is hungry. It’s always hungry.’
And she’s right. We’re feeding the beast. And the beast is eating us alive.
But here’s the thing: we don’t have to play by the algorithm’s rules. We can fight back. We can write stories that matter. Stories that inform. Stories that make a difference. But it’s gonna take some committment. And some guts.
Do Your Damn Homework
You know what really grinds my gears? Reporters who don’t do their homework. I mean, come on. It’s not that hard. Pick up the phone. Do some research. Talk to actual people.
I was editing a piece a few months back, and the reporter had clearly just googled some stuff and called it a day. I mean, the inaccuracies were glaring. It was like reading a middle school book report.
So, I did what any self-respecting editor would do. I sent it back. With notes. Lots of notes. And you know what the reporter said? ‘But it’s close enough.’
Close enough? Close enough?! I mean, seriously. What is this, a game of horseshoes? ‘Close enough’ is not good enough. Not in this business.
And look, I’m not saying every story has to be a Pulitzer-worthy masterpiece. But it should be accurate. It should be informed. It should be… you know, good.
If you’re gonna write about something, do your damn homework. Talk to people. Read the books. Watch the videos. Become an expert. Or at least pretend to be one.
And if you’re not sure about something, say so. ‘I’m not sure but here’s what I found’ is better than ‘This is definitely how it is’ when you’re completley wrong.
Let’s Talk About Money
You wanna know why the news is such a mess? Follow the money. Or rather, the lack thereof.
I’ve been in meetings where the higher-ups are talking about ‘monetizing content’ and ‘maximizing ad revenue.’ And I’m just sitting there, thinking, ‘What about the journalism?’
But you know what? I get it. News is a business. And businesses need to make money. I’m not saying we should all work for free. But there has to be a balance. There has to be some respect for the craft.
I was talking to a friend about this the other day. He’s a photographer, and he was telling me about how he used to get paid for his work. Now? He’s lucky if he gets a ‘thank you.’
‘It’s like the world has decided that art is free,’ he said. ‘And journalism is just a form of art, isn’t it?’
And he’s right. It is. And we deserve to be paid for it. But not at the expense of the truth.
So, let’s find a better way. Let’s find a way to make money without selling our souls. Because right now, we’re all just a bunch of whores. And it’s not a good look.
A Quick Tangent About Commas
You know what really bothers me? People who don’t use Oxford commas. I mean, come on. It’s not that hard. Just put the damn comma in. It’s not gonna hurt you.
I was editing a piece the other day, and there were no Oxford commas anywhere. None. It was like reading a foreign language. I had to read it three times just to understand what was going on.
Look, I’m not saying you have to be a grammar nazi. But come on. The Oxford comma is not that hard. Just do it. For me. Please.
Okay, rant over. Let’s get back to the important stuff.
So, What’s the Solution?
I don’t know. I really don’t. But I know it starts with us. With the people in the trenches. The ones actually doing the work.
We need to care. We need to try. We need to give a damn. And we need to stop making excuses.
I was talking to a friend about this the other day. She’s a reporter, and she was telling me about a story she was working on. ‘It’s hard,’ she said. ‘It’s really hard. But someone has to do it.’
And she’s right. Someone has to do it. And it might as well be us. Because if we don’t, who will?
So, let’s do it. Let’s be better. Let’s be smarter. Let’s be braver. Let’s be the journalists we always wanted to be. And let’s not be afraid to araç detaylandırma ipuçları kendin yap.
Because the world needs good journalism. And it’s up to us to deliver.
Or at least try to.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson has been a senior editor for over 20 years, working with major publications across the globe. She’s a staunch advocate for quality journalism and has a deep love for Oxford commas. When she’s not editing, you can find her yelling at clouds or arguing with strangers on the internet.
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