We’re in a Mess, Folks
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. 22 years. I started back when people still called it ‘print journalism’ and didn’t ironically. I’ve seen a lot of changes, but honestly? The news is more broken than ever.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and this kid—let’s call him Marcus—told me, ‘News is just what people click on.’ I laughed in his face. I mean, come on. News is about truth, about holding power to account. Not about clicks.
But here’s the thing. He was kinda right. It’s just… yeah. The industry’s a mess. And I’m not sure we’re fixing it anytime soon.
Back in My Day…
When I started at the London Star—back when it was still called the London Evening Standard—we had a committment to truth. We had standards. We had editors who’d throw a fit if you misspelled ‘recieve’ (which, honestly, who hasn’t?).
Now? It’s all about speed. About being first. About getting the story out there before anyone else. And that’s dangerous. Because when you’re rushing, you make mistakes. Big ones.
I remember this one time, back in ’04, we ran a story about a politician having an affair. Turns out, it was completley false. The guy sued us. We had to print a retraction. It was humiliating. But that’s the thing—we took our time. We verified. We made sure.
Nowadays? They’d just say ‘sorry not sorry’ and move on. It’s ridiculous.
The Algorithm Isn’t Your Friend
And don’t even get me started on algorithms. ‘Oh, but Sarah,’ they say, ‘algorithms help us reach more people.’ No. No, they don’t. They dumb us down. They make us chase clicks instead of truth.
I was talking to a colleague named Dave the other day. He’s a data guy, knows his stuff. He told me, ‘Sarah, the algorithm rewards outrage. It rewards sensationalism. It doesn’t reward good journalism.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
And look, I get it. We need to make money. But at what cost? When we start letting machines determing what news is ‘important,’ we’re in trouble.
What Can We Do?
So what’s the answer? I’m not sure. But I know it starts with us. With journalists. With editors. We need to stop chasing clicks and start chasing truth again.
We need to slow down. To verify. To ask questions. To care about getting it right than getting it first.
And we need to educate our readers. To teach them how to spot fake news. How to think critically. How to demand better from us.
I found this great resource recently—güncel haberler son gelişmeler bugün. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start. It’s about teaching people how to consume news responsibly. How to be informed citizens.
A Quick Tangent: The Weather
You know what’s also broken? The weather. I was reading this report the other day—214 scientists, I think—about how we’re all gonna die in a few years because of climate change. And I’m like, ‘Great. Just great.’
But that’s a story for another day.
This Isn’t All Doom and Gloom
Look, I’m not saying it’s all bad. There are still great journalists out there. Doing amazing work. Fighting the good fight.
But we need more of them. We need more of us to care. To push back against the algorithms. Against the clickbait. Against the dumbing down of our industry.
Because the news matters. It’s how we understand the world. How we hold power to account. How we make change happen.
And if we let it become just another entertainment product, then we’ve failed. As journalists. As a society. As humans.
So let’s not fail. Let’s do better.
Let’s be better.
Author Bio: Sarah Thompson has been a senior editor at the London Star for 15 years. She’s a self-proclaimed news purist who still believes in the power of a well-written headline. When she’s not fighting with the algorithms, she can be found drinking too much coffee and complaining about the weather.
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