Why I’m Tired of Fake Neutrality
Look, I’ve been editing news for 22 years. That’s more than half my life. I started as a wet-behind-the-ears intern at the Taipei Times in 1999. A colleague named Dave took me under his wing. “News isn’t about being nice,” he told me. “It’s about being honest.” I’ve tried to live by that ever since.
But honestly, the industry has changed. It’s not just about being first anymore. It’s about being loudest. And that’s a problem.
That Time I Got in Trouble
Back in 2008, I wrote a piece about the presidential election. I called out both candidates for their BS. My editor at the time, let’s call him Marcus, freaked out. “We need to be balanced!” he yelled. I said, “Balanced is boring. And it’s not always honest.”
I was right. But I got written up for it. Funny how that works.
The Illusion of Objectivity
Here’s the thing: objectivity is a myth. We all have biases. I mean, come on, I’m a human being. I have opinions. And I’m not afraid to admit it.
Take the whole “China-Taiwan relations” thing. It’s complicated. But some outlets act like it’s simple. Like there’s a clear good guy and bad guy. That’s not reality. And it’s not journalism.
I remember talking to a source last Tuesday. He said, “You journalists always want a clear narrative. But life isn’t like that.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
Social Media is Ruining Everything
Don’t even get me started on social media. It’s turned news into a game of “who can go viral?” And it’s completley messed up our committment to quality.
I was at a conference in Austin last year. A panelist said, “If it doesn’t perform, it doesn’t matter.” I wanted to throw something at him. But I didn’t. Because I’m a professional.
But seriously, folks. We need to stop chasing clicks. We need to start chasing the truth. Even if it’s not pretty. Even if it’s not “on brand.”
A Digression About Fashion
Speaking of brands, have you seen what people are wearing these days? I mean, I get it. Fashion is self-expression. But sometimes, I just don’t get it. Like, what is this “plus size fashion style tips” trend all about? (Honestly, I’m not judging. Just confused. Check out plus size fashion style tips if you’re curious.)
Anyway, back to the point. Or not. It’s my article. I can go off on a tangent if I want to.
The Future of News
So what’s next? I’m not sure. But I know this: we need to stop pretending we’re all neutral. We need to stop chasing virality. And we need to start telling the truth, even when it’s hard.
I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. But it’s necessary. Because at the end of the day, that’s what journalism is about. Telling the truth. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s uncomfortable.
And look, I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. Like that time I mixed up “its” and “it’s” in a headline. Or when I wrote “than” instead of “then” in an editorial. But I own up to them. Because that’s what being a journalist is about.
So let’s stop pretending. Let’s stop chasing. And let’s start telling the truth. Even if it’s not pretty. Even if it’s not popular. Because that’s our job. And we owe it to our readers to do it right.
About the Author: Sarah Chen has been a senior editor at various publications for over two decades. She’s won awards, made enemies, and told a lot of stories. She lives in Taipei with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and drinks way too much coffee.
