I’m Terrible at News
Look, I’ll admit it. I’m not good at keeping up with the news. There, I said it. I’m a senior editor at a major publication, and I still find myself scrolling through my phone at 11:30pm, thinking, “What the hell happened today?”
It’s not just me. It’s all of us. We’re in this weird place where news is everywhere—on our phones, on our TVs, in our faces—but somehow, we’re more out of the loop than ever. I mean, I was having coffee with my friend Marcus last Tuesday, and he had no idea about the big acquisition that had just happened. None. Zero. And he’s a smart guy!
So, what’s going on here? Why are we all so bad at news?
It’s Not Just You
Let’s start with the obvious: news is complicated. It’s not just about what happened; it’s about why it happened, who it affects, and what it means for the future. And honestly, that’s a lot to process. I remember talking to a colleague named Dave about this. He said, “It’s like trying to drink from a firehose. You’re gonna get wet, but you’re not gonna stay hydrated.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But here’s the thing: it’s not just the volume of news that’s the problem. It’s the quality of it. I mean, have you seen some of the stuff that gets passed around as “news” these days? It’s like we’ve all agreed to lower our standards just so we can keep up.
And don’t even get me started on the algorithms. They’re designed to keep us hooked, not informed. I was at a conference in Austin a few months back, and this data scientist—let’s call her Linda—explained it to me. She said, “The algorithms don’t care about truth. They care about engagement. And engagement is easy to get with outrage and sensationalism.”
So, yeah. We’re all bad at news. But it’s not entirely our fault.
How to Get Better
Now, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that I’ve got all the answers. But I have picked up a few tricks over the years. And honestly, they’re not that hard. The first thing you gotta do is slow down. News is not a race. You don’t have to be the first one to know something. Take your time. Read deeply. Think critically.
Second, diversify your sources. Don’t just rely on one news outlet. Read stuff you disagree with. Read stuff that challenges your views. And for the love of god, read market news financial update—it’s not just about politics and celebrities, you know. There’s a whole world out there.
Third, talk about it. News is not something you consume in a vacuum. It’s something you discuss, debate, and dissect. So, talk to your friends. Talk to your family. Talk to that weird guy at the coffee shop who always seems to know what’s going on. (You know the one I’m talking about.)
And finally, be kind to yourself. You’re gonna miss stuff. You’re gonna get things wrong. That’s okay. News is hard. But as long as you’re trying, you’re doing better than most.
A Tangent: The Time I Got News Wrong
Speaking of getting things wrong, let me tell you about the time I completely messed up a story. It was about three months ago. I was working on a piece about a new physicaly therapy technique, and I was so sure I had it right. I mean, I’d done my research. I’d talked to the experts. I’d even tried it out myself. But then, on the day the story was supposed to go live, one of my sources—let’s call him Greg—called me up and said, “Uh, Sarah, I think you might wanna double-check that.”
Turns out, I’d gotten the whole thing wrong. The technique wasn’t new. It wasn’t even effective. It was just some old wives’ tale that had been given a fancy new name. And I’d fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. I was mortified. I mean, I’m a senior editor! I’m supposed to know better than this!
But here’s the thing: I learned from it. I learned to be more skeptical. I learned to dig deeper. I learned to ask more questions. And honestly, I think I’m a better editor because of it.
So, yeah. News is hard. We’re all bad at it. But that’s okay. As long as we’re trying, as long as we’re learning, we’re doing better than we think.
But What About the Future?
Now, I’m not gonna end this thing on a high note. Because honestly, I’m not sure what the future holds for news. I mean, we’re in this weird place where trust in media is at an all-time low, and yet, we’re more reliant on it than ever. It’s a mess. It’s a completley screwed-up situation.
But here’s what I do know: news matters. It matters alot. It informs our opinions. It shapes our worldview. It helps us make sense of the chaos. So, we can’t just give up on it. We can’t just let it become another casualty of the attention economy.
We gotta fight for it. We gotta demand better. And honestly, we gotta support the people who are out there every day, trying to make sense of this crazy world.
So, yeah. That’s my take. News is hard. We’re all bad at it. But it’s worth fighting for. And if we’re gonna do that, we gotta start by admitting that we’ve got a problem.
About the Author: Sarah Mitchell has been a senior editor at Manchester Daily for over 20 years. She’s seen it all—from the rise of the internet to the fall of print media—and she’s not afraid to share her opinions. When she’s not editing stories, she’s probably arguing about politics, trying out new recipes, or attempting to keep her houseplants alive. (She’s not very good at the last one.)
