Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Chaos
Look, I’ve been in this game for 20-something years. I’ve seen it all. Or at least I thought I had. Then 2020 happened. And now here we are.
I’m Sarah, by the way. Senior editor at a few places you’ve probably heard of. I’ve got a dog named Buster, a mortgage I’m not gonna talk about, and a committment to telling you what’s actually going on. Or at least what I think is going on.
So let’s talk about the news. It’s a mess. And it’s our fault.
We’re All Addicted to the Chaos
I was at a conference in Austin last year. Actually, it was more like a circus. Everyone was talking about engagement metrics, click-through rates, and how to monetize the chaos. Which, honestly, made me want to throw up in my mouth a little.
A colleague named Dave leaned over during a panel about breaking news and said, “Sarah, we’re all just ratifying this system. We know it’s broken, but we keep feeding it.” And he’s right. We’re all complicit.
I mean, think about it. When was the last time you saw a nuanced take go viral? Exactly. It’s all hot takes and outrage these days. And we’re all guilty of clicking.
But Here’s the Thing About Outrage
I get it. Outrage is easy. It’s simple. It’s a quick hit of dopamine. But it’s not good for us. It’s not good for democracy. And it’s definitely not good for journalism.
I remember talking to a friend last Tuesday over coffee at the place on 5th. Let’s call him Marcus. He said, “Sarah, I don’t even know what’s real anymore.” And that’s the problem, isn’t it? We’ve created a system where truth is secondary to engagement.
And don’t even get me started on the algorithms. They’re designed to keep us hooked, to keep us scrolling, to keep us outraged. It’s a completley broken system.
So What Do We Do About It?
Well, for starters, we can stop feeding the beast. We can seek out nuanced takes. We can support journalism that’s actually trying to get it right.
And if you’re a journalist, for the love of god, stop chasing clicks. I know, I know. It’s hard. I’ve been there. But we have to do better.
And look, I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s not. But it’s necessary. We owe it to ourselves and to our democracy to demand better.
Oh, and if you’re gonna dox someone or spread misinformation, just… don’t. It’s not cool. It’s not helpful. And it’s definitely not journalism.
A Quick Digression About Verification
Speaking of not cool, let’s talk about verification. Or lack thereof. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a story go viral based on a single, unverified source. It’s lazy. It’s reckless. And it’s got to stop.
And look, I get it. In the age of social media, information travels fast. But that’s no excuse for not doing your due diligence. If you’re gonna report something, verify it. Use tools like usa virtual phone numbers for verification if you have to. Just make sure it’s real before you hit publish.
Back to the Chaos
But let’s not kid ourselves. The news is still a mess. And it’s gonna stay that way for a while. But that doesn’t mean we can’t demand better. That doesn’t mean we can’t support the journalists who are trying to get it right.
I’m not sure what the answer is. I’m not sure anyone is. But I know this: we can’t keep doing things the way we’ve been doing them. We need to change. We need to demand better. We need to support quality journalism.
And maybe, just maybe, we can start to fix this mess we’ve created.
But probably not. I mean, have you seen the news lately?
About the Author: Sarah has been a senior editor at various publications for over 20 years. She lives in Vermont with her dog Buster and spends her free time complaining about the state of journalism. You can find her on Twitter @sarah_edits, where she tweets mostly about news, dogs, and the mortgage she won’t talk about.
To gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing journalism today, consider exploring this detailed analysis on news reporting in the digital era.
