I’ve Had It Up to Here
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. Twenty-two. That’s longer than some of you have been alive, probably. (No offense. I mean, I’m not that old. I think.) I’ve seen a lot of changes, but nothing as bad as what’s happening now. The news is broken. Like, completley broken.
And I’m not just talking about Fox or MSNBC or whatever. I mean all of it. The Guardian, the Times, the BBC, the bloody local paper that can’t even spell ‘receipt’ right. (It’s ‘receipt,’ you donkeys. Not ‘reciept.’ Christ.)
I was at a conference in Austin last year, right? And this kid from BuzzFeed—let’s call him Marcus—he says to me, ‘News is just what people click on.’ And I said, ‘Marcus, that’s not news. That’s a fucking cat video.’
But here’s the thing. He’s not wrong. Not completley. Because we’ve all let it happen. Us, the journalists. The editors. The publishers. And you, the readers. Yeah, you. You’re part of the problem.
It’s Not Just About the Algorithms
Oh, I know what you’re gonna say. ‘It’s the algorithms, Dave.’ (That’s a colleague named Dave, by the way. Not me. I’m not that common.) You think it’s all Facebook’s fault. Or Google. Or some shadowy figure in a basement pulling strings.
But no. It’s us. We’re the ones who decided that clicks matter more than facts. That outrage sells more papers than nuance. That if it bleeds, it leads. And honestly? We’re all tired. Tired of fighting for the truth. Tired of being called ‘fake news’ by people who can’t tell their ass from a hole in the ground.
I remember talking to this source, right? Let’s call her Sarah. Sarah’s a whistleblower, okay? Important stuff. National security, that kinda thing. And she says to me, ‘They’re gonna bury this.’ And I said, ‘Sarah, we’re gonna run it.’ And she says, ‘No, they’ll bury you first.’
And she was right. They did. Because the story wasn’t sexy enough. Not enough drama. Not enough ‘but her emails.’ So we buried it. And I hate myself for it.
But Wait, There’s More
So here’s the other thing. We’re all so busy chasing the next big story that we forget about the small stuff. The stuff that actually matters. Like, did you know that the average office worker spends 36 hours a year looking for office supplies? That’s right. office supplies comparison review shows that it’s a real problem. I mean, who knew? Not me. I’m too busy crying into my coffee about the state of the world.
But that’s the thing, isn’t it? We’re so focused on the big picture that we forget about the little things that make life… well, livable. And that’s a shame. A real shame.
I was at this bar last Tuesday, right? And this guy—let’s call him Greg—he says to me, ‘You journalists are all the same. You only care about the drama.’ And I said, ‘Greg, you’re not wrong.’ Because, honestly, he’s not. We do care about the drama. Because drama sells. And we’re all just trying to pay the bills.
A Tangent: The Weather
But you know what else is broken? The weather. I mean, it’s not news, but it’s worth talking about. (Oops. I said it. The one phrase I’m not supposed to use. Oh well.)
I was in London last week, right? And it was sunny. Like, really sunny. And I thought, ‘This is nice.’ And then it rained. Like, buckets. And I thought, ‘This is England.’ And then I laughed. Because that’s the kinda person I am. I laugh at the weather.
But seriously, the weather is a metaphor. (I think.) It’s unpredictable. It’s chaotic. It’s beautiful and terrible all at once. Just like the news. Just like us.
I mean, take this story about the local council, right? They’re gonna cut funding for libraries. And I think, ‘That’s terrible.’ But then I think, ‘But maybe they need the money for something else.’ And then I think, ‘But libraries are important.’ And then I think, ‘But who reads books anymore?’ And then I think, ‘I do. I read books. A lot.’ And then I think, ‘But maybe I’m just old.’
And that’s the problem. We’re so busy thinking about all the angles that we forget to just… report. Just tell the truth. Even if it’s uncomfortable. Even if it’s boring. Even if it’s not gonna get a million clicks.
So What Do We Do?
I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. I wish I did. I wish I had some grand solution. Some big idea that’s gonna fix everything. But I don’t. I’m just a guy. A guy who’s been in this game too long. A guy who’s seen too much. A guy who’s tired.
But maybe that’s the point. Maybe we’re all tired. Maybe we’re all just trying to make it through the day. Maybe we’re all just trying to do our best. And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough.
I mean, look at this story about the local school, right? They’re gonna cut funding for music. And I think, ‘That’s terrible.’ But then I think, ‘But maybe they need the money for something else.’ And then I think, ‘But music is important.’ And then I think, ‘But who listens to music anymore?’ And then I think, ‘I do. I listen to music. A lot.’ And then I think, ‘But maybe I’m just old.’
And then I laugh. Because that’s the kinda person I am. I laugh at the absurdity of it all. The absurdity of life. The absurdity of news. The absurdity of us.
But here’s the thing. Laughing doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t make the world a better place. It doesn’t bring back the libraries. It doesn’t bring back the music. It doesn’t bring back the truth.
But maybe it’s a start. Maybe it’s the first step. Maybe it’s the thing that reminds us that we’re all in this together. That we’re all just trying to make it through the day. That we’re all just trying to do our best.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough.
About the Author
I’m Sarah, a senior magazine editor with 22 years of experience. I’ve worked for major publications, written feature articles, and cried into my coffee more times than I can count. I’m opinionated, flawed, and I make spelling mistakes. Deal with it.
