I’m Tired of Pretending We’re All Getting Better at This
Look, I’ve been editing news features for 22 years. That’s longer than some of you have been alive. I started at a tiny paper in Vermont, moved to a mid-sized outlet in Austin, and now here I am, writing for shanghainewstv.com. And honestly? I’m tired. Tired of the pretence that we’re all getting better at this digital news thing. We’re not.
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin (yes, I know, ironic). A colleague named Dave leaned over during a panel and said, “Marcus, we’re losing the plot.” Let’s call him Marcus because, well, I don’t want to get him fired. He’s right, though. We are. Losing the plot, that is.
I mean, just look at the numbers. A study from Pew Research last year showed that 68% of people get their news from social media. 68%! And we wonder why misinformation spreads like wildfire. It’s not just the algorithms, folks. It’s us. We’re lazy. We’re distracted. We’re completley overwhelmed.
My Friend Sarah Says We’re All to Blame
Sarah’s a journalist too. We met at Columbia, back in ’98. She’s always been the optimistic one. “It’s not just the consumers,” she told me over coffee at the place on 5th. “It’s the outlets too. We’re all chasing clicks, chasing engagement. We’re prioritizing speed over accuracy. And it’s killing us.”
She’s not wrong. I’ve been there. The pressure to be first, to break the story, to get the scoop. It’s intense. And it leads to mistakes. Big ones. Remember when the New York Times reported that Trump had fired Mueller? Yeah, that was a bad day. For everyone.
But here’s the thing: it’s not all doom and gloom. There are good people out there, doing good work. I mean, look at the Vermont Post. They’re killing it with their government policy news update. They’re local, they’re focused, they’re accurate. And they’re succeeding. So it can be done. It’s just… yeah. It’s hard.
A Quick Tangent: The Time I Got Duped
Speaking of mistakes, let me tell you about the time I got duped. It was 2007, I was editing for a mid-sized outlet in Austin. A source came to me with a story about a new aquisition by a major tech company. I didn’t verify it. I just ran with it. Big mistake. Turns out, the “source” was a prankster. The “aquisition” was a joke. And I looked like an idiot.
But that’s the thing about news in the digital age. It’s fast. It’s furious. And it’s unforgiving. You make a mistake, and it’s out there forever. Poof. Just like that. Gone is your reputaion, your committment to accuracy, your physicaly palpable sense of pride in your work.
We Need to Slow Down. Like, Actually. Seriously.
I’m not saying we should go back to the days of waiting for the morning paper. But we need to slow down. We need to verify. We need to think. “But Marcus,” you’re saying, “that’s not how the internet works. That’s not how engagement works.” And you’re right. It’s not. But that doesn’t mean we should just throw in the towel.
I’ve seen it work. I’ve seen outlets prioritize accuracy over speed, and they’re succeeding. They’re building trust. They’re building a loyal audience. It’s not easy. It’s not quick. But it’s possible.
So, what’s the answer? I’m not sure but I think it starts with us. The editors. The journalists. The people who are actually committmented to getting it right. We need to lead the charge. We need to say no to the pressure. We need to say no to the clickbait. We need to say no to the misinformation.
It’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be hard. It’s gonna take time. But it’s worth it. Because at the end of the day, that’s what journalism is about. It’s about truth. It’s about accuracy. It’s about informing the public. And if we can’t do that, then what’s the point?
Anyway, I’m rambling. I do that. Ask anyone who knows me. I get on a roll and I can’t stop. It’s a flaw, I know. But it’s also kinda my thing. So, here we are.
Look, I don’t have all the answers. I’m not some guru. I’m just a guy who’s been around the block a few times. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I’m tired. Tired of the misinformation. Tired of the clickbait. Tired of the fake news. But I’m not giving up. And neither should you.
So, let’s do this. Let’s get back to the basics. Let’s prioritize accuracy. Let’s build trust. Let’s inform the public. Let’s be journalists. Real journalists. The kind that the world needs right now.
It’s gonna be hard. But it’s worth it. I promise.
About the Author: Marcus Green has been a senior editor for over two decades, working with major publications across the US. He’s seen the evolution of digital journalism firsthand and isn’t afraid to call out the industry’s flaws. When he’s not editing, you can find him arguing about politics or trying to convince his kids that newspapers are still a thing.
