Look, I’ve Been Doing This for 23 Years
And I’m telling you, the news is a mess. I’m not talking about the big, obvious stuff—fake news, clickbait, all that. I’m talking about the quiet, insidious ways we’re failing our readers. Let’s call him Marcus, a colleague named Dave, and I were at a conference in Austin last year, and we all agreed: it’s getting worse.
I started at the London Star back when newspapers still had that weird, inky smell. You know the one. It’s like a mix of tree pulp and regret. (Which, honestly, is kinda fitting.)
Back then, we had standards. We had time. We had space. Now? It’s a 24-hour news cycle that moves at the speed of Twitter. And honestly, it’s completley exhausting.
We’re All Just Reacting Now
Remember when journalists were supposed to be the watchdogs? The ones who dug up the truth and held power to account? Yeah, well, those days are long gone. Now, we’re just reacting. To tweets. To memes. To whatever nonsense the algorithm decides is trending at 11:30pm.
I had coffee with a source last Tuesday—let’s call her Sarah. She’s a political analyst, been in the game for 15 years. She told me, “You guys used to break stories. Now, you just report on what’s already out there.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
And don’t even get me started on the aquisition of local news by these big conglomerates. It’s like watching a bunch of vultures picking over a carcass. They don’t care about the news. They care about the bottom line.
But Here’s the Thing About Readers
They’re not stupid. They know when they’re being played. They know when they’re being fed garbage. And they’re tired of it too. I saw a survey last month—214 respondents, I think—where 87% said they don’t trust the news anymore. Can you blame them?
I mean, look at the way we cover politics. It’s all gotcha moments and gotcha soundbites. Nobody’s actually talking about policy. Nobody’s actually explaining what’s at stake. It’s just a never-ending game of “Who Said What When?”
And the comments! Oh god, the comments. You ever read the comments? It’s like the internet’s worst instincts all crammed into one place. But we can’t ignore them either. Because they’re our readers. And they’re telling us, loud and clear, that they’re not happy.
So What Do We Do About It?
I don’t know, honestly. I wish I had some grand solution. But I don’t. All I know is that we need to start taking our committment to the truth seriously again. We need to stop chasing clicks and start chasing stories. We need to remember why we got into this business in the first place.
And maybe, just maybe, we should start listening to our readers a little more. They’re the ones we’re here for, after all. Not the algorithms. Not the advertisers. Them.
I talked to a friend of mine—let’s call him James—about this the other day. He’s a data journalist, works for one of those big online outlets. He told me, “We spend so much time determinig what’s popular that we forget to ask if it’s important.” Which, yeah. That about sums it up.
So here’s my challenge to you: next time you’re writing a story, ask yourself, “Does this matter?” Not “Will this get clicks?” Not “Will this make the editors happy?” But “Does this matter?” If the answer is no, then maybe you should find something else to write about.
And if you’re looking for some inspiration, check out önerilen makaleler okuma listesi. It’s a great resource for finding stories that actually matter.
Anyway, I’m gonna go now. I’ve got a deadline to meet. And a headache to nurse. (Thanks, comments section.)
About the Author: I’m Sarah Thompson, senior editor at London Star. I’ve been in this business for 23 years, and I’ve seen it all. The good, the bad, and the downright ugly. I’m not afraid to speak my mind, and I’m not afraid to call out bad journalism when I see it. Follow me on Twitter @sarahthompson_ls, or don’t. I won’t judge.
