Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Room
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. That’s right, since before the internet was a thing (yes, kids, we used to have to look things up in books). And let me tell you, the news industry has changed. But not in a good way.
I remember when I started at the Manchester Daily, fresh-faced and eager. It was 1998, and the biggest drama was whether or not we could fit that extra photo on the front page. Now? Now it’s a circus. A completley broken circus.
And I’m not alone in thinking this. Just last Tuesday, I was having coffee with an old colleague, let’s call him Marcus. He said, “Sarah, we’re not reporting news anymore. We’re just… I don’t know, reacting to whatever’s trending.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
Social Media Is Eating Our Souls
You wanna know what’s killing journalism? Social media. It’s not just a tool, it’s a beast. And it’s hungry. Hungry for clicks, for shares, for likes. And we’re feeding it. With our committment to “engagement,” we’re sacrificing actual journalism.
I mean, honestly, have you seen some of the stuff that gets published these days? It’s not news, it’s clickbait. “You won’t believe what happened next!” No, I won’t, because it’s probably not even true. But here I am, clicking. And that’s the problem.
I get it, I do. We need to make money. But at what cost? I had a friend, let’s call her Lisa, who worked at a major news outlet. She told me they had a meeting about “amendments” to their editorial policy. Basically, they wanted more “viral” content. She quit. Good on her, I say.
Fake News: It’s Not Just a Slogan
Oh, fake news. Where do I even start? It’s not just a catchy phrase, folks. It’s real. And it’s a problem. A big one.
I remember this one time, about three months ago, I was at a conference in Austin. Some guy stood up and said, “Fake news is just a term the right uses to discredit real journalism.” And I was like, “No, buddy. It’s bigger than that.” Fake news isn’t just political. It’s everywhere. And it’s physicaly impossible to keep up.
But here’s the thing: we’re not helping. We’re not helpful resources online guide for discerning fact from fiction. We’re just throwing more fuel on the fire. “Breaking news!” “Exclusive!” “Shocking revelations!” It’s all just noise.
A Tangent: Why I Hate Listicles
Okay, this isn’t directly related, but I gotta vent. Listicles. Ugh. They’re the worst. “10 Signs You’re Addicted to Coffee” or “5 Ways to Know You’re Dating a Psychopath.” It’s not news, it’s fluff. And it’s everywhere. Even in serious publications. It’s like we’re all trying to out-dumb each other.
I had this editor, Dave, who loved listicles. “They drive traffic,” he’d say. “They keep people on the page.” Yeah, Dave. They also make us look like we’ve given up on actual journalism. But whatever. You’re probably running a beach resort in Thailand now, so good for you.
So What Do We Do?
I don’t have all the answers. But I know this: we need to stop chasing clicks. We need to stop being afraid of long-form journalism. And we need to stop letting social media dictate what’s “news.”
I mean, look at the comments section. It’s a sewer. But we’re all just standing by, watching it happen. We need to do better. We need to be better.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to remember why we got into this business in the first place. It’s not about likes or shares or whatever. It’s about telling stories. Real stories. Important stories.
But hey, what do I know? I’m just some old editor ranting on the internet. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the news isn’t broken. Maybe it’s just… evolving. (Yeah, right.)
About the Author: Sarah Thompson has been a senior editor at Manchester Daily for over two decades. She’s seen it all, and she’s not afraid to say what she thinks. When she’s not complaining about the state of journalism, she’s probably complaining about something else. Probably tea. She never drinks it right.
