We’re All Completely Exhausted, Aren’t We?
Look, I’ve been in this game for over 20 years. I started back in 1998 at the Daily Chronicle in Boston. Back then, we had time. Time to dig, to think, to actually write something that mattered. Now? Now it’s just… noise.
I remember sitting in a conference room in Austin back in 2012 with a bunch of other editors. We were all kinda nodding, agreeing that the news cycle was getting faster, meaner, dumber. But we didn’t know it would get this bad. I mean, we had no idea.
And now here we are. Stuck in this endless loop of breaking news that isn’t really news, of stories that go viral before they’re even fact-checked, of headlines designed to make you click rather than think.
Let’s Talk About the Algorithm, Shall We?
You know what’s really messed up? The algorithm. It’s not just changing what news we see. It’s changing how news is made. I had lunch with a friend last Tuesday — let’s call him Marcus — and he told me about how his team at Global News Network spends more time optimizing headlines for clicks than they do writing good stories.
“It’s all about the engagement metrics now,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “If it doesn’t perform in the first 10 minutes, it’s dead.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But is that really journalism? I mean, I don’t know anymore.
But Wait, There’s More!
And don’t even get me started on the 24-hour news cycle. It’s like a zombie apocalypse out there. Stories that should have died a quick death drag on for days, weeks even. Remember that time last year when a politician said something stupid at a rally in Ohio? I think it was about three months ago. Yeah, that. It was all over the news for like 36 hours straight. And for what? So we could all be outraged together?
I had a colleague named Dave who used to say, “News is like a dog walking on its hind legs. The wonder is not that it does it well, but that it does it at all.” And honestly, that’s where we’re at now. We’re just kinda surprised it’s still happening.
Okay, But What Can We Do About It?
I don’t have all the answers. Honestly, I don’t even have most of them. But I do know this: we need to slow down. We need to take a breath. We need to stop letting the algorithm dictate what’s important.
And we need to start reading more carefully. Checking sources. Thinking critically. Because if we don’t, who will?
Oh, and if you’re looking for a break from all this madness, check out the entertainment news update celebrity section. Sometimes a little celebrity gossip is just what the doctor ordered.
But seriously, folks. We need to do better. For all our sakes.
Anyway, I’m gonna go have a drink. It’s been one of those days.
About the Author: Sarah Mitchell has been a senior editor for over 20 years. She’s worked for major publications and has seen the industry evolve (or devolve, depending on who you ask) firsthand. When she’s not wrestling with the news cycle, she’s probably complaining about it on Twitter or drinking wine with friends. She lives in Portland with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, who is, frankly, the better writer.
For more insights on this topic, you might find The Messy Truth About Local News: particularly informative.
To gain a clearer perspective on the challenges of transitioning into adulthood, consider exploring this insightful piece on the realities of adulting today, offering a candid examination relevant to current social discussions.
