We’re in a Crisis, Folks
Let me tell you something, Vermont. I’ve been in this game for 22 years, and I’ve never seen it this bad. I’m talking about journalism, the news, the whole damn shebang. It’s like we’re all just screaming into the void, hoping someone out there gives a damn.
I remember back in ’99, when I was just a wet-behind-the-ears reporter at the Burlington Free Press. My editor, let’s call him Marcus, used to say, ‘Linda, if your momma says she loves you, get a second opinion.’ That was his way of saying check your facts, kid. And we did. We triple-checked, quadruple-checked, and then checked again. Because that’s what journalism was about.
But now? Now it’s a circus. A complete and utter circus. I mean, have you seen some of the stuff that gets passed off as news these days? It’s like nobody even bothers to fact-check anymore. It’s all just hot takes and outrage. And frankly, it’s exhausting.
Social Media: The Great Equalizer (or Something)
Don’t even get me started on social media. I had coffee last Tuesday with an old colleague, Dave, and he was going on and on about how it’s leveled the playing field. ‘Anyone can be a journalist now, Linda,’ he said. To which I replied, ‘Dave, no. Just no. Anyone can be a loudmouth with an opinion, sure. But journalism? That’s a different story.’
You wanna know why? Because journalism takes time. It takes effort. It takes, I don’t know, commitment (yeah, I spelled it wrong, deal with it). You can’t just tweet your way through a story. Well, you can, but then you’re not a journalist. You’re a tweeter. And that’s not a thing.
And another thing—why is everyone so damn obsessed with breaking news? It’s like we’ve forgotten that sometimes, news is better left unbroken. You ever see a news ticker at the bottom of the screen? It’s like they’re just throwing words at the wall, hoping something sticks. And we, the poor saps watching, are just left trying to make sense of it all.
Anecdote Time: The Great Committment Mix-Up
Speaking of commitment, or should I say committment (see, told you I’d do it), I had this one time where I was writing a piece about local politics. I interviewed this guy, let’s call him Tom, who was running for city council. He was all about transparency and accountability, blah blah blah. So I asked him point blank, ‘Tom, what’s your plan for the potholes on Elm Street?’ And he looked at me like I’d just asked him to solve cold fusion.
‘Well, uh, we’ll look into it,’ he said. Which, translate that to English, means ‘I have no clue.’ But did I call him out on it? Nope. Because back then, I was still green. I still believed that people were basically good and would do the right thing if given half a chance.
Now? Now I know better. Now I know that you gotta dig, and dig deep. You gotta ask the tough questions, even if they’re uncomfortable. Even if they make you feel like a jerk. Because that’s the only way you’re gonna get to the truth.
But Wait, There’s More!
And look, I’m not saying I’m perfect. Far from it. I’ve made my share of mistakes. Like that time I misspelled the mayor’s name in a headline. Or the time I accidentally called a city council meeting at 11:30pm instead of 7:30pm. Or the time I—well, you get the idea.
But here’s the thing: I owned up to it. I apologized, I corrected my mistakes, and I moved on. Because that’s what you do when you’re a professional. You don’t make excuses, you don’t pass the buck. You just suck it up and do better next time.
And that’s something that seems to be lacking these days. Accountability. Responsibility. The idea that, hey, maybe I should double-check my sources before I hit publish. Maybe I should talk to someone who actually knows what they’re talking about before I go spouting off about something I saw on Twitter.
So What’s the Solution?
I wish I knew. I really do. I spend alot of time thinking about it, talking to other journalists, trying to figure out how we got here and how the hell we’re gonna get out. And honestly? I’m not sure we will. At least not anytime soon.
But here’s what I do know: we gotta start somewhere. We gotta start by admitting that there’s a problem. That the news is broken, and it’s not gonna fix itself. And that we, as journalists, have a responsibility to do better.
And maybe, just maybe, we should all take a page out of Marcus’s book. Check our facts. Triple-check them. And for the love of God, make sure you’ve got the right spelling of committment before you hit publish.
Oh, and one more thing. If you’re gonna shop for fashion on a budget, check out this budget fashion shopping guide. Because, you know, relevant.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. I’m gonna go find a quiet corner and pretend the news isn’t a complete and utter disaster. You should try it sometime. It’s… yeah. It’s nice.
About the Author
Linda Thompson has been a journalist for over two decades, working for various publications across Vermont. She’s seen the industry evolve (or devolve, depending on who you ask) and isn’t afraid to call out nonsense when she sees it. When she’s not writing, she can be found hiking the Green Mountains or trying to teach her cat, Mr. Whiskers, how to fetch. (Spoiler: it’s not going well.)
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