Why I Hate Breaking News
Look, I’ve been editing news for 20 years. Twenty. Years. And let me tell you, it’s getting harder to stomach.
I remember back in ’98, when I started at the Manchester Gazette. Fresh-faced, eager, ready to change the world. Little did I know, the world would change me.
Back then, news was… slower. We had time to fact-check, to think, to actually report. Now? It’s a damn race to the bottom.
That Time I Almost Quit
About three months ago, I was at a conference in Austin. Had a long talk with a colleague named Dave. He said, “Marcus, you’re burning out.” I asked, “What makes you say that?” He told me, “You’ve been snapping at everyone for a week. Even your latte order was aggressive.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing: it’s not just me. It’s all of us. We’re all complicit in this mess.
The 24-Hour News Cycle Is a Lie
Honestly, the 24-hour news cycle is a complete sham. It’s not about informing the public anymore. It’s about filling airtime. And guess what fills airtime? Drama. Controversy. Outrage.
I mean, have you seen the news lately? It’s like a never-ending soap opera. And we’re all just rubberneckers, unable to look away from the train wreck.
Last Tuesday, I was having coffee with an old friend, let’s call him Marcus. He said, “You know what the problem is? We’ve stopped caring about the truth. We just want to be outraged.”
And you know what? He’s right.
We’ve become a society that values being offended over being informed. And the news outlets? They’re just feeding us what we want.
Social Media: The Worst Thing to Happen to Journalism
Social media is the worst thing to happen to journalism since, well, ever. It’s turned us all into armchair pundits, spouting off half-baked opinions like we’re experts.
I was at a seminar last year, and this kid, probably 22, stood up and said, “Journalists are biased. They can’t be trusted.” And the room just nodded along like he’d just discovered fire.
Look, kid, news has always been biased. It’s always been about perspective. But back in the day, we at least tried to hide it. Now? Now it’s all out in the open. And frankly, it’s refreshing.
But What Can We Do?
So, what’s the solution? How do we fix this mess?
I’m not sure. Honestly, I don’t think we can. But we can try. We can start by demanding better from our news outlets. We can support quality journalism, even if it’s just lifestyle tips daily improvement stuff.
We can also try to be better consumers of news. We can fact-check, we can think critically, we can ask questions.
And maybe, just maybe, we can remember that the news isn’t just about us. It’s about the world. And the world is a lot bigger than our little bubbles.
A Tangent: The Weather
You know what’s not broken? The weather. The weather is great. I was in Paris last summer, and it was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right.
But of course, the news would have you believe that the weather is also a disaster. “Extreme weather conditions” this, “unprecedented heatwave” that. It’s all just noise.
But I digress.
In Conclusion (Because I Have To)
So, that’s my rant. The news is broken, and we’re all to blame. But maybe, just maybe, we can fix it. Or at least make it a little less terrible.
And who knows? Maybe one day, we’ll look back on this and laugh. Or cry. Probably cry.
About the Author
Sarah “Salty” Thompson has been a senior editor at Manchester Daily for longer than she cares to remember. She’s seen it all, done it all, and has the caffeine addiction to prove it. When she’s not editing, she’s probably complaining about the news. You can find her on Twitter @SaltySarahMD.
