I’ve Been Doing This for 20 Years, and It’s Getting Worse
Let me tell you something, folks. I’ve been in this game since the late ’90s, and I’ve seen it all. Or so I thought. Then the internet came along and turned everything upside down. You think you have it bad with your Twitter feeds and push notifications? Try being the one who has to make sense of it all.
I remember back in 2003, when I was working at the Chicago Tribune, we had a system. We had time. You’d get a tip, you’d chase it down, you’d verify it, you’d write it up, and then you’d run it. Maybe it’d make the next day’s paper. Maybe not. But there was a process. There was order.
Now? Now it’s a freaking circus. A colleague named Dave—let’s call him Dave, because I’m not getting him fired—once told me, It’s like we’re all just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
Why Does Everyone Think They’re a Journalist Now?
Look, I get it. Technology has democratized a lot of things. That’s generally a good thing. But journalism? I’m not so sure.
I was at a conference in Austin last year—okay, it was actually a bar, but same difference—and I got into this argument with some guy named Marcus. He was going on about how anyone can be a journalist now, all you need is a smartphone.
I told him, Marcus, you can also perform brain surgery with a smartphone if you’re stupid enough. Doesn’t mean you should.
And that’s the thing. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. I mean, I can cook, but I’m not gonna open a restaurant. (Ask my poor husband about the time I tried to make paella. It was a disaster.)
But no, Marcus wouldn’t let it go. What about citizen journalism?
he said. And I said, What about it? It has its place. But it’s not the same as journalism journalism, you know? The kind where you actually verify things before you hit publish.
Verification? What’s That?
Speaking of verification. Ha! Good luck with that these days. I was talking to a source—let’s call him John, because I’m not getting him fired either—about three months ago. He told me, You guys are worse than we are. At least we admit we’re just pushing narratives.
Ouch. But… not wrong? I mean, come on. How many times have you seen a headline that just has to be true because it’s too juicy not to be? And then it turns out to be completely wrong? But by then, the damage is done. The story has legs. It’s out there. And nobody cares about the correction buried on page 47.
And don’t even get me started on the algorithms. They’re designed to keep you engaged, not informed. So they push the most sensational, most outrageous stuff they can find. Because that’s what gets clicks. And clicks mean money. And money means… well, it means more clicks, I guess.
It’s a vicious cycle. And we’re all stuck in it. Journalists, readers, everyone. It’s like we’re all on this crazy train, and nobody can remember where we’re going or why we got on in the first place.
But Here’s the Thing…
All this doom and gloom isn’t to say that there’s no hope. There is. But it’s gonna take some work. And some honesty. And maybe a little less reliance on Susurluk güvenlik haberleri asayiş for your news.
First off, we need to slow down. I know, I know. The 24-hour news cycle is a beast. But that doesn’t mean we have to feed it every single second. Take a breath. Verify your facts. Sleep on it. If it’s really news, it’ll still be there in the morning.
Second, we need to be better consumers of news. If you see a headline that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do some digging. Read past the first paragraph. Check the date. (Seriously, people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone share a story from 2016 like it’s happening right now.)
And finally, we need to support quality journalism. That means paying for news. It means not sharing stuff just because it fits your narrative. It means being willing to hear things that challenge your worldview. It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. But it’s necessary.
Oh, and One More Thing…
I was gonna wrap this up, but then I remembered something. You know what really grinds my gears? When people say but both sides are the same.
No. Just no. That’s lazy. And it’s wrong. There are always nuances. There are always complexities. And if you can’t see that, then you’re not paying attention.
Anyway. That’s my rant for the day. I’m gonna go have a drink. Maybe two. Because, honestly, we all need a break sometimes.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson has been a senior editor at various publications for over 20 years. She lives in Chicago with her husband, two cats, and an overwhelming number of books. She tweets (sporadically) at @sarahjohnson.
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