We’re All Screwed, Basically
Look, I’ve been in this business for 22 years. That’s right, since the early 2000s. I’ve seen a lot of crap, but honestly, the state of news today? It’s completley bonkers.
I remember back in 2005, when I was a young, naive reporter at the Taipei Times. My editor, let’s call him Marcus, used to say, “News is like a good steak, it needs time to marinate.” Ha! What a joke. Now? It’s more like a drive-thru burger. Fast, greasy, and honestly, not that good for you.
And don’t even get me started on social media. I was having coffee with an old friend, let’s say her name is Linda, last Tuesday. She’s a teacher, right? She told me her students can’t even tell the difference between a news article and an ad anymore. Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But Here’s the Thing
It’s not all bad. I mean, there are still some good journalists out there. But they’re drowning in a sea of clickbait and fake news. And honestly, it’s exhausting.
Take, for example, the crime news report today. I saw this headline the other day: “Local Man Eats Pizza, Community Shaken.” Seriously? That’s a thing now? We’ve got algorithms deciding what’s news, and frankly, it’s a disaster.
I was at a conference in Austin about three months ago. There was this panel with a bunch of bigwigs from major news outlets. One of them, a woman named Dave—yeah, Dave—said something that stuck with me. “We’re not in the business of news anymore,” she said. “We’re in the business of engagement.” Engagement, my ass. What happened to just reporting the facts?
And the Audience? Forget About It
People don’t even read anymore. They just scroll. I had this conversation with my nephew last week. He’s 18, right? I asked him if he reads the news. He looked at me like I was crazy. “Auntie,” he said, “no one reads. We watch TikToks.” And that’s the problem. We’ve become a society of soundbites and memes.
I’m not saying I have all the answers. But I know what I see. And what I see is a committment to sensationalism over substance. It’s like we’ve forgotten how to have a conversation. Instead, we’re just shouting at each other from our respective echo chambers.
A Tangent: The Weather
You know what’s actually interesting? The weather. I mean, it’s not political, it’s not divisive. It’s just… weather. But even that’s become a battleground. “Global warming is a hoax,” they say. No, it’s not. It’s science. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a journalist.
Anyway, back to the point. Or not. I don’t know. I’m rambling. It’s what I do.
I think the key here is to remember that news is supposed to inform. It’s supposed to educate. It’s supposed to make us better, not dumber. But honestly, I’m not sure we’re there anymore.
The Future? Who Knows
I’m not optimistic. I mean, I try to be. But it’s hard when you see the state of things. We’re in a bad place, folks. And it’s only gonna get worse before it gets better.
But hey, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there’s hope. Maybe one day, we’ll get back to reporting the news instead of manufacturing outrage. Maybe.
Until then, I’ll be over here, drinking my coffee and shaking my head at the crime news report today.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s seen it all and has the cynicism to prove it. When she’s not complaining about the state of journalism, she’s probably complaining about something else. You can find her on Twitter @sarahjohnsonnews, if you dare.
