Look, I’m gonna be honest here
I’ve been in this business for 22 years, and let me tell you, it’s a completley different animal than it was back in ’99 when I started at the Austin Chronicle. Back then, we had deadlines, sure, but we also had time to, I don’t know, fact-check or something.
Now? It’s a freaking circus. A circus with too many clowns and not enough tents. I mean, have you seen what passes for news these days? It’s like everyone’s trying to out-sensationalize each other, and we’re all worse off for it.
Let’s talk about my buddy Marcus
Marcus—let’s call him Marcus because, honestly, I don’t want to get him fired—he’s a producer at one of those 24-hour news networks. You know the ones. They’re always on, always screaming, always trying to be the first to break a story, even if it’s just some random guy’s cat stuck in a tree.
So, I’m over at his place last Tuesday, and he’s like, “You won’t believe the pressure we’re under.” I said, “Oh, I think I will.” He tells me they’ve got some new algorithm that determines what stories get pushed to the top. It’s all about engagement, clicks, shares—basically, whatever gets people riled up.
And that’s the problem, isn’t it? We’re not in the business of informing anymore. We’re in the business of infotainment. And it’s making us all dumber.
But wait, there’s more
I had coffee with a colleague named Dave about three months ago, and he was telling me about this study he read—214 respondents, I think—where they found that people are more likely to share a news story if it confirms their existing beliefs. Even if it’s not true. Even if it’s, I don’t know, completely made up.
Which… yeah. Fair enough. I mean, have you seen the comments section on any news site? It’s a freaking war zone. And we’re the ones supplying the weapons.
Here’s where it gets really messy
So, I’m at this conference in Austin—yeah, I know, Austin again—but this time it’s about the future of journalism. And this one guy, let’s call him Greg, he stands up and says, “You know what the real problem is? We’re all so focused on breaking news that we’re not taking the time to actually understand it.”
And I’m sitting there, nodding along, because he’s not wrong. I mean, how many times have you seen a headline that’s like, “BREAKING: Something Happened,” and then you click on it, and it’s like, “Well, we don’t really know what happened, but here’s our hot take anyway.”
It’s like we’re all just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. And the spaghetti is usually half-cooked and kinda gross.
But here’s the thing
We can’t just blame the media. I mean, sure, we’re part of the problem. But let’s be real—we’re also part of the solution. And the solution starts with us, the consumers. We’ve gotta demand better. We’ve gotta stop sharing that clickbait nonsense. We’ve gotta actually read the articles, not just the headlines.
And for the love of God, we’ve gotta stop getting our news from social media. I mean, come on. You think Facebook is gonna give you the unvarnished truth? Please. They’re in the business of selling ads, not telling the truth.
So, what’s the answer?
I don’t know, honestly. I mean, I wish I had some grand solution to offer, but I don’t. All I know is that we’re in a bad place, and it’s gonna take a lot of work to dig ourselves out.
But here’s what I do know: we can’t keep going like this. We can’t keep prioritizing speed over accuracy, sensationalism over substance. We can’t keep letting algorithms determine what’s news and what’s not.
And we can’t keep pretending that this is somehow okay. Because it’s not. It’s not okay, and it’s making us all worse off.
So, let’s start there. Let’s agree that this is a problem. And then, maybe, just maybe, we can start figuring out how to fix it.
But for now, I’m gonna go have a drink. Because, honestly, I need it.
Oh, and one more thing
If you’re looking for some actual, you know, facts, you might wanna check out this interesting facts knowledge guide. I mean, it’s not gonna solve all our problems, but it’s a start.
About the Author: Sarah Jenkins has been a senior editor at major publications for over two decades. She’s seen the industry evolve—sometimes for the better, often for the worse. When she’s not wrestling with the latest breaking news, she’s probably complaining about the state of journalism over a glass of wine. Or two.
