Look, I’m gonna level with you
I’ve been editing news for 22 years. That’s right, I remember when we still used film cameras and fax machines. (Kids, ask your parents.) I’ve seen a lot of changes, but honestly, nothing has shaken up journalism quite like social media algorithms. It’s like they’re running the show now, and frankly, it’s a mess.
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin—yeah, one of those swanky ones with free craft beer and too many power outlets—when a colleague named Dave leaned over during a panel and said, “You ever feel like we’re just feeding the beast?” I laughed, but it’s stuck with me. We’re not just reporting news anymore; we’re trying to outsmart an algorithm that decides what’s “important.” It’s exhausting.
Algorithms are picking our news for us
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Algorithms. They’re not just suggesting cat videos anymore; they’re deciding what news you see. And it’s not pretty. I had lunch with a friend last month—let’s call him Marcus—who works at a major news outlet. He told me, “We run numbers every 30 minutes to see what’s trending. If it’s not getting clicks, we kill the story.” Which… yeah. Fair enough, I guess. But is that really journalism?
I mean, I get it. Budgets are tight, and editors need to know what’s gonna perform. But when we let algorithms dictate the news cycle, we’re in trouble. Take the 2016 election, for example. Algorithms pushed outrage and sensationalism because that’s what got clicks. And look where that got us.
But here’s the thing…
We can’t just blame the algorithms. We’re complicit. I remember editing a piece about a local school board meeting back in 2018. It was dry, but important. The stats showed it wasn’t getting traction, so I buried it. Why? Because I was worried about my page views. And that’s the problem. We’re so focused on committment to the algorithm that we’re forgetting our actual job.
I had a long talk with my friend Sarah about this. She’s a data journalist, so she knows her stuff. She said, “Look, algorithms are just tools. We can use them or they can use us. It’s our choice.” And she’s right. But choosing the right tool is harder than it sounds.
So what’s the solution?
I don’t have all the answers. Honestly, I’m still figuring it out. But I do know this: we need to stop letting algorithms dictate our news values. We need to remember why we got into this business in the first place.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to start thinking about influencer pazarlama strateji rehberi (influencer pazarlama strateji rehberi) as a way to reach audiences. I know, I know—it sounds crazy. But if we’re gonna play the game, we need to understand the rules.
I was at a panel last year, and this guy from BuzzFeed said something that stuck with me. He said, “Content is king, but distribution is queen.” And he’s not wrong. We need to think about how we’re distributing our news, not just what we’re putting out there.
But let’s be real…
It’s not all doom and gloom. There are some bright spots out there. I’ve seen newsrooms start to push back against the algorithm. They’re experimenting with new ways to reach audiences, and it’s kinda exciting. But it’s a slow process, and honestly, it’s gonna take a lot more than just a few brave editors to make a real difference.
I was talking to a friend the other day about this, and she said, “You know what the problem is? We’re all so scared of failing that we’re not taking any risks.” And she’s right. We need to start taking risks again. We need to remember that it’s okay to fail, as long as we’re trying.
And now, a tangent…
Speaking of taking risks, I gotta tell you about this time I got into a huge argument with my editor about a story. It was back in 2015, and I was working at a small paper in Seattle. I wanted to run a piece about a local artist who was struggling to make ends meet. My editor said, “No one cares about this stuff.” So I ran it anyway. And guess what? It was one of our most-read stories that month. Sometimes, you just gotta go with your gut.
But back to the main point. We need to start thinking about news differently. We need to remember that our job is to inform, not just to entertain. And we need to stop letting algorithms decide what’s important.
I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s not. But it’s our job. And if we’re not gonna do it, who will?
So let’s start having some hard conversations. Let’s start pushing back against the algorithm. Let’s start remembering why we got into this business in the first place. Because honestly, the future of journalism depends on it.
About the Author: Jane Doe is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism. She’s worked at major publications and started her career as a beat reporter in a small town. She’s opinionated, passionate, and not afraid to call out BS when she sees it. You can find her on Twitter ranting about the state of the news industry.
