We’re All Just Making It Up as We Go
Look, I’ve been in this game for over two decades. Two. Decades. And let me tell you, the news industry is a mess. A completley, unholy mess. I started at a tiny paper in Bristol—let’s call it the Bristol Daily, because why not?—back in the ’90s. Back then, we had standards. Now? It’s like everyone’s just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.
I remember this one time, back in ’98, we had a source—let’s call him Marcus—who swore he had the scoop on the council’s secret aquisition plans. We spent 36 hours chasing it down. Turns out, it was a big fat nothing. But we did it right. We verified, we fact-checked, we cared.
Now? It’s all about speed. Speed and clicks. And honestly, it’s exhausting.
But Here’s the Thing About Speed
Speed isn’t necessarily bad. I mean, look at how quickly we got the news about the royal family’s latest scandal last Tuesday. But it’s the quality that’s suffering. It’s like we’ve traded accuracy for alacrity, and frankly, I’m not sure it’s a trade worth making.
Take, for example, the whole Brexit debacle. I was at this conference in Austin—yeah, Austin, because apparently that’s where all the big brains go now—and everyone was talking about how the news coverage was so fragmented, so biased, that it was impossible to get a clear picture. And I get it. It’s hard. But that’s no excuse for the garbage we’re seeing.
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on Social Media
Social media is the wild west of news. It’s like the OK Corral out there, and everyone’s packing heat. I was having coffee with a colleague named Dave the other day—over at that place on 5th, you know the one—and he was telling me about how his mom keeps sharing these outrageous headlines from questionable sources. And I’m just sitting there, thinking, How did we get here?
I mean, I get it. It’s easy to share. It’s easy to click. But it’s also easy to spread misinformation. And that’s the problem. We’re all just sharing and clicking and spreading, and nobody’s taking the time to think.
So What’s the Solution?
I wish I had a simple answer. I really do. But the truth is, it’s complicated. It’s a big, messy, complicated problem. And honestly, I’m not sure anyone has the right solution.
But here’s what I do know. We need to start valuing quality over quantity. We need to start valuing accuracy over speed. And we need to start valuing truth over clicks.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to start taking a page out of the celebrity style inspiration guide. I know, I know—what does that have to do with anything? But hear me out. Celebrities, they know how to make an impact. They know how to stand out. And they know how to be authentic. Maybe we should try a little of that in our news coverage.
I’m not saying we should start dressing up our headlines with sequins and glitter. But maybe we should start putting a little more thought into what we’re putting out there. Maybe we should start caring a little more about the truth.
A Quick Digression: The Weather
Speaking of truth, have you noticed how the weather forecasts are always wrong? I mean, it’s like they’re just making it up as they go along. And honestly, it’s kinda refreshing. At least they’re being honest about their committment to accuracy.
But I digress. Back to the news.
The Bottom Line
Look, I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s not. And I’m not saying I have all the answers. I don’t. But I do know this: we can’t keep going the way we’re going. We can’t keep valuing speed over accuracy. We can’t keep spreading misinformation just because it gets clicks.
We need to do better. We need to be better. And frankly, I’m tired of waiting for someone else to fix it. So I’m gonna start here. I’m gonna start now. And I hope you’ll join me.
About the Author
Sarah Jenkins is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s worked for major publications and has seen it all. She’s opinionated, she’s blunt, and she’s not afraid to call out bullshit when she sees it. When she’s not editing, she’s probably complaining about the weather or trying to figure out how to use the latest social media platform.
