Let’s Talk About This Mess
Look, I’ve been in this game for over 20 years. I’ve seen a lot of things, but honestly? The state of news today is completley bonkers. I’m not just talking about the obvious stuff—fake news, clickbait, all that. I mean the deeper, more insidious problems that nobody wants to address.
I remember back in ’99, when I was a junior editor at the London Star, we actually had time to fact-check. We’d spend hours, days even, making sure every detail was right. Now? Forget about it. It’s all about speed. Get it out there first, worry about the facts later.
And don’t even get me started on social media. It’s like we’ve given up on actual journalism and just decided to throw everything against the wall to see what sticks. It’s exhausting.
But Here’s the Thing
I was having coffee with my friend Marcus last Tuesday. He’s a journalist too, works over at the Guardian. We were talking about this exact thing. He said, “You know, I think the problem is that we’ve lost sight of what news is supposed to be.” I asked him what he meant. He told me, “It’s not about being first. It’s not about being sensational. It’s about being accurate and informative.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But how do we get back to that? How do we fix a system that’s so completely broken?
I’m not sure I have the answers. But I do know one thing: we need to stop pretending everything is fine. We need to admit that there’s a problem and start working on solutions.
A Quick Digression
Speaking of problems, have you seen the state of subscription boxes lately? It’s like everyone and their mom has one. I was looking at a subscription box review comparison the other day, and it was like a maze. How are you supposed to determine what’s worth your money?
But I digress. Back to the news.
The Human Element
One of the biggest issues, in my opinion, is the lack of human connection. We’ve become so focused on algorithms and SEO and all that crap that we’ve forgotten about the people. The readers, the viewers, the listeners.
I remember a colleague named Dave telling me about a story he did back in 2015. It was about a small town in the Midlands that was hit by a flood. He spent weeks there, talking to people, understanding their stories. The resulting piece was heartbreaking and beautiful. It was journalism at its best.
But these days, would any publication give him the time to do that? Probably not. They’d want him to churn out a quick piece, get the basics down, and move on to the next story. It’s a shame, really.
What Can We Do?
So, what’s the solution? I’m not entirely sure. But I think it starts with a committment to quality. To taking the time to do things right. To remembering that we’re here to serve the public, not just chase clicks.
It’s gonna be a tough road. There are a lot of vested interests working against us. But if we don’t try, then what’s the point?
Anyway, I’m getting a bit preachy. Let’s wrap this up.
Just remember, the news is broken. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. We have the power to fix it. We just need to care enough to try.
About the Author: Sarah Jenkins is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s worked for various major publications and has seen the industry evolve (or devolve, depending on who you ask) over the years. She’s passionate about quality journalism and isn’t afraid to call out the problems in the industry. When she’s not editing, she can be found drinking too much coffee and complaining about the state of the world.
