I’ve Had It Up to Here with ‘Balanced’ News
Look, I’ve been in this game for over two decades. I’ve seen it all. Or so I thought. Honestly, the state of news today? It’s a joke. And not the funny kind.
Back in ’98, when I was a wet-behind-the-ears reporter for the Bristol Daily, my editor—let’s call him Marcus—drilled one thing into my head: “Tell the truth, no matter who it hurts.” Simple, right? Apparently not.
These days, it’s all about “balance.” You’ve got to “give both sides equal time.” Bullshit. Sometimes, one side is just wrong. And pretending otherwise? That’s not journalism. That’s cowardice.
Let’s Talk About That Time I Pissed Off a Mayor
Remember the story about the school budget cuts in 2012? The mayor, let’s call him Dave, was cutting funding for after-school programs to buy new golf carts for the city council. Literally. I wrote a piece calling him out on it. The next day, my phone rang off the hook. “You’re ruining this city,” he told me. “You’re ruining this city?” I said. “Dave, you’re buying golf carts while kids can’t afford lunch.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing: I didn’t just say, “Well, the mayor says he needs golf carts for ‘municipal efficiency,’ and the parents say their kids are going hungry. Who’s right? You decide!” No. I said, “This guy’s a tool.” And I stood by it.
The Problem with ‘Just the Facts’
And don’t even get me started on “just the facts.” Facts are boring. Facts don’t change minds. Facts don’t inspire action. You know what does? A well-placed “This is bullshit” in the middle of an otherwise factual piece. It’s called passion, people. Look it up.
I mean, take climate change. The facts have been in for years. But have we seen any real action? No. Because “just the facts” isn’t cutting it. You need to make people care. You need to piss them off. You need to say, “This is happening, and it’s wrong, and you should be outraged.”
But no. Instead, we get “Some scientists say climate change is real, but others say it’s not.” No. Just… no. There are not “two sides” to this. There’s science, and there’s denial. And if you’re giving equal time to denial, you’re part of the problem.
So What’s the Solution?
I’m not sure but maybe we need to stop being so damn polite. Maybe we need to stop pretending that every opinion is valid. Maybe we need to start calling out bullshit when we see it.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to stop relying on current affairs analysis update that’s so watered down it’s practically distilled. You know the kind—”Experts say the situation is complex and multifaceted, with no easy solutions.” No shit, Sherlock.
Give me a break. Sometimes, the solution is simple. Sometimes, the answer is staring you right in the face. And sometimes, you just need to say, “This is wrong, and here’s why.”
A Quick Digression: The Time I Got Food Poisoning at a Press Conference
Speaking of bullshit, remember that press conference in Austin back in 2015? The one where the governor’s office served up some kinda questionable buffet? I ate the chicken. Big mistake. Spent the next 36 hours in the bathroom. But hey, at least I got a good story out of it. “Governor’s Chicken: A Metaphor for His Policies” ran on the front page the next day. Marcus loved it. The governor? Not so much.
But that’s journalism. It’s messy. It’s unpredictable. And sometimes, it’s downright unpleasant. But it’s real. And that’s what we need more of.
So here’s to the journalists out there who aren’t afraid to ruffle feathers. To the ones who aren’t afraid to say, “This is wrong.” To the ones who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Keep fighting the good fight. Because the news is broken, and we need all the help we can get.
About the Author: Sarah Thompson has been a senior editor at the Bristol Daily for over 20 years. She’s won awards, made enemies, and once got food poisoning at a press conference. She’s not sorry for any of it.
