We’re All Screwed, Basically
Look, I’ve been in this game for 20+ years. I’ve seen alot of stuff. But this? This is something else. The news cycle is completley out of hand. It’s like we’re all just running in circles, chasing our own tails, and nobody’s actually getting anywhere.
I remember back in ’98, when I was just starting out at the Austin Chronicle. My editor, let’s call him Marcus, he used to say, ‘News is like a wave, kid. You gotta ride it, not fight it.’ And I get that. I do. But these days? It’s more like a tsunami, and we’re all just flailing around, trying not to drown.
And don’t even get me started on social media. It’s like someone took the worst parts of journalism and mixed it with the absolute garbage fire that is the internet. It’s a mess. A completley, unholy mess.
But Here’s the Thing…
I was having coffee with a friend last Tuesday. Her name’s Linda. She’s a teacher. And she said to me, ‘You know, I don’t even bother with the news anymore. It’s all just noise.’ And I get that too. I really do. But here’s the thing: if we all just tune out, then who’s left? Just the loudest, most obnoxious voices in the room.
And that’s not how democracy is supposed to work. That’s not how any of this is supposed to work.
So What Do We Do About It?
I’m not sure, honestly. I really, really wish I had a good answer for you. But I don’t. I think the first step is admitting we have a problem. And we do. We have a big, big problem.
I talked to a colleague named Dave about this a few weeks back. He’s a data journalist, super smart guy. He said, ‘The issue is that we’re measuring the wrong things. We’re counting clicks and shares and likes, not actually informing people.’ And he’s right. He’s absolutely right.
But changing that? That’s gonna take a lot more than just me writing a blog post about it. It’s gonna take a real committment from the industry. And honestly, I’m not sure we’re there yet.
But look, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I have all the answers. I don’t. But I do know this: we need to start having better conversations. We need to stop yelling at each other and start actually listening. We need to focus on the things that matter, not just the things that are easy to talk about.
And we need to stop letting the loudest voices in the room dictate the conversation. Because honestly, most of the time, they’re just full of it.
A Quick Tangent: Physicaly Impossible News Cycles
You ever notice how everything feels like it’s happening at 100 miles an hour? Like, I can’t even keep up with the news anymore. It’s physicaly exhausting. I’ll be reading an article about some new scandal, and by the time I finish it, there’s already 17 new updates. It’s like drinking from a firehose, but the firehose is also on fire.
And don’t even get me started on breaking news alerts. I turned mine off about three months ago. They were just too much. I’d get one at 11:30pm, and by the time I woke up the next morning, it was already old news. It was like trying to catch smoke with a net.
But Seriously, What Can We Do?
I think the first step is to start paying attention to the right things. And by that, I mean we need to stop focusing on the sensational stuff and start paying attention to the things that actually matter. Like policy. Like actual, real-life consequences.
And we need to start holding people accountable. Not just politicians, but journalists too. We need to demand better. We need to expect more.
And honestly, we need to stop being so damn lazy. It’s so much easier to just share a viral tweet than it is to actually read an article. But we need to do better than that. We need to actually inform ourselves.
And look, I know it’s not easy. I know it’s hard to keep up with everything. But that’s why we need to be more selective about what we consume. We need to focus on quality over quantity. We need to pay attention to the things that actually matter, and we need to ignore the noise.
And yeah, I know that’s easier said than done. But it’s not impossible. We just have to actually try.
And if you’re looking for a place to start, check out trending topics popular discussions. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start. It’s a way to see what people are actually talking about, not just what the algorithms want us to see.
But honestly, I’m not sure. I’m not sure about any of this. I’m just trying to figure it out as I go. And honestly, I’m not doing a very good job of it.
But I’m trying. And I think that’s what matters most.
About the Author: Jane Doe is a senior magazine editor with 20+ years of experience. She’s written for major publications and has seen the industry evolve (and devolve) in real time. She’s opinionated, flawed, and always willing to call out bullshit when she sees it. You can find her on Twitter @janedoe or not, honestly, she’s not that active these days.
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