I’m Tired of Fake News, And You Should Be Too
Look, I’ve been in this game for over two decades. I’ve seen the news industry evolve, devolve, and now just kinda… dissolve. I’m Marcus Carter, senior editor at the Bristol Daily, and frankly, I’m pissed.
It’s not just the big stuff, either. It’s the little things. The careless errors, the lazy reporting, the complete lack of committment to truth. I mean, I get it. The internet changed everything. But that’s no excuse for the garbage we’re seeing today.
Take last Tuesday, for example. I was at a conference in Austin, sitting in on a panel about digital journalism. The speaker, let’s call him Dave, was going on about how ‘the news is just a bunch of algorithms now.’ And I raised my hand and said, ‘Dave, that’s bullshit. The news is people. It’s always been people.’
He looked at me like I’d just told him his mom was a robot. ‘But Marcus,’ he said, ‘the algorithms determine what people see.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but people write the algorithms. And people decide what’s news. And people are fucking it up.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough. I might’ve been a bit harsh. But honestly, I’m tired of hearing about algorithms and clickbait and ‘engagement metrics.’ I wanna hear about good old-fashioned journalism. You know, the kind where reporters actually leave their desks and talk to real people.
I remember back in ’98, when I was just starting out at the Bristol Herald. We had a rule: if you can’t see it from the window, you’re not covering it. That meant getting out there, into the community, and finding the stories that mattered. Not just the ones that would get the most clicks.
Nowadays, it’s all about the clicks. The views. The shares. And it’s making us all stupid. I mean, have you seen some of the headlines out there? It’s like we’re living in a post-literate society. And it’s not just the tabloids. It’s everyone. Even the so-called ‘respectable’ news outlets are guilty of it.
I was having coffee with a friend the other day, let’s call her Sarah. She’s a teacher, and she was telling me about how her students can’t tell the difference between real news and fake news. And I said, ‘Sarah, neither can half the adults in this country.’ And she laughed, but it’s not funny. It’s completley tragic.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. There are still good journalists out there, doing good work. You just gotta know where to look. And sometimes, you gotta make your own news. That’s why I’m so excited about what we’re doing here at the Bristol Daily.
We’re not gonna be perfect. We’re gonna make mistakes. But we’re gonna be honest. And we’re gonna be fair. And we’re gonna be out there, in the community, talking to real people. Because that’s what journalism is supposed to be about.
And look, I’m not saying we’ve got all the answers. But I do know this: the news is broken, and we’re all to blame. The only way we’re gonna fix it is if we start taking responsibility. For our actions, for our words, for our committment to the truth.
So let’s get out there and make some news. Real news. The kind that matters. Because honestly, we owe it to ourselves, and to each other, to do better than this.
And hey, if you’re looking for some real news, check out the Susurluk etkinlikler hafta sonu takvim. It’s a great resource for what’s happening in the community. And it’s a reminder that real news is out there. You just gotta know where to look.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. I’m gonna go find some real news to write about. You should too.
Wait, What About the Weather?
Oh, right. The weather. I almost forgot. It’s gonna be sunny on Saturday, by the way. Just thought you should know.
I mean, it’s not exactly hard news, but it’s something, right? And honestly, sometimes that’s enough. Sometimes, you just need to know if you’re gonna need an umbrella or not. And that’s okay. Not every story has to be earth-shattering. Some stories are just about the little things. The things that make life livable.
So yeah. It’s gonna be sunny on Saturday. Enjoy it. And while you’re at it, maybe read some real news too. You’ll be glad you did.
About the Author: Marcus Carter is a senior editor at the Bristol Daily, with over 20 years of experience in journalism. He’s a firm believer in the power of real news, and he’s not afraid to call out the industry when it’s full of crap. When he’s not editing stories, he can be found drinking coffee, complaining about the weather, and trying to teach his cat how to fetch.
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