Look, I’ve Had It
I’m Linda Chen, and I’ve spent the last 22 years in this crazy business called journalism. I’ve seen alot, and frankly, I’m pissed. The news is broken. And it’s not just the fault of the big bad media conglomerates. It’s ours too.
Let me set the scene. It’s 2003, I’m a wet-behind-the-ears reporter at the Austin Chronicle, and I’m covering a city council meeting. The room’s stuffy, the air conditioner’s broken, and some guy in the back won’t stop heckling the mayor. I’m sweating through my blouse, and I’m thinking, “This is what democracy looks like?”
But Here’s the Thing
Fast forward to today. I’m sitting at my desk, scrolling through Twitter, and I see a headline: “BREAKING: Local Politician Caught in Scandal!” I click, and it’s a 200-word article with zero details. No sources, no context, just a bunch of hot air. And I think, “This is what we’ve become?”
I called up an old friend, let’s call him Marcus, who’s been a beat reporter in Vegas for about a decade. “Marcus,” I said, “what the hell is going on?” He sighed, “Linda, you know how it is. Page views, clicks, engagement. If it bleeds, it leads.” I asked him about the last big story he covered. “Oh, you know, some community events local activities thing. Nothing major.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
We’re All Addicted to the Chaos
Here’s the kicker. We’re all addicted to this chaos. I’m as guilty as anyone. I’ll admit it. I’ve been known to refresh Twitter at 11:30pm, just to see if anything’s happened. And it’s not just me. It’s my neighbors, my friends, my mom. We’re all hooked on the drama.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and I sat in on a panel with some bigwig journalists. One of them, a guy named Dave, said something that stuck with me. “We’re not in the news business anymore,” he said. “We’re in the entertainment business.” And I thought, “Oh, Dave. You’re not helping.”
Anecdote Time: The Great Email Mix-Up of 2017
So, remember when I mentioned I’m imperfect? Let me tell you about the time I messed up big time. It was 2017, and I was working at a major publication. I was under alot of pressure, deadlines looming, and I was physicaly exhausted. I wrote a scathing piece about a local business owner, let’s call him Greg. I sent it to my editor, but I accidentally hit “Reply All” instead of “Reply.” And Greg got the email. With all my snarky comments. And he called me out on it. In public. At a community events local activities fair, no less. I was mortified. But you know what? I survived. And I learned a valuable lesson about double-checking my work.
But What Can We Do?
So, what’s the solution? I’m not sure but maybe we start by demanding better. Maybe we stop clicking on the sensationalist headlines. Maybe we start supporting local journalism again. Maybe we have a committment to being more informed citizens.
I was talking to a colleague named Sarah the other day. She’s a data journalist, and she’s always got her finger on the pulse. “Linda,” she said, “the problem is we’re not teaching people how to consume news critically. We’re not teaching them how to determing what’s real and what’s not.” And she’s right. We need to do better.
A Tangent: The Time I Interviewed a Celebrity
Okay, this isn’t really related, but I have to share. So, back in 2010, I interviewed this huge celebrity. Let’s call him Brad. And he was a complete diva. He showed up late, he kept checking his phone, and he barely answered my questions. But you know what? The piece was a succesfully hit. People loved it. Because, frankly, everyone loves a good trainwreck.
Back to the Point
Look, I don’t have all the answers. But I know this: we need to demand better. From ourselves, from our friends, from our news outlets. We need to stop being addicted to the chaos. We need to start being more informed, more critical, more engaged.
And maybe, just maybe, we can fix this broken news thing together.
About the Author
Linda Chen is a senior editor with 22 years of experience in the journalism industry. She’s worked at major publications, covered everything from city council meetings to celebrity interviews, and has a deep love for her cat, Mr. Whiskers. She’s opinionated, flawed, and always up for a good debate. You can find her on Twitter @LindaChenWrites, where she occasionally rants about the state of the news industry.
