Look, We’ve Got a Problem
I was at a barbecue last summer in Duxbury, and let’s call him Marcus—he’s a friend of a friend, works in finance—he told me he hadn’t read a newspaper in years. ‘Why would I?’ he said. ‘I get all my news from Twitter.’ I laughed. It wasn’t a joke.
That’s when it hit me. We’re all stuck in our own little news bubbles. It’s like we’re living in different realities, and honestly, it’s kinda scary.
I mean, think about it. You follow certain people, certain accounts, certain pages. And suddenly, that’s all you see. It’s like your news feed is a mirror, reflecting back at you what you already believe. And if you’re not careful, you’ll never see anything else.
And don’t even get me started on the algorithms. They’re like these invisible puppeteers, pulling our strings, deciding what we see and what we don’t. It’s like they’re saying, ‘Here’s what you want to see. Here’s what you’re gonna believe.’ And we just sit there and take it.
I remember talking to a colleague named Dave about this. He said, ‘But Sarah, that’s just how it is. You can’t fight the algorithm.’ I said, ‘Dave, we have to. Because if we don’t, we’re just gonna keep living in these little bubbles, never seeing the bigger picture.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But Here’s the Thing
I’m not saying we should all become news junkies, glued to our screens 24/7. That’s not the answer. But we should be more aware. More conscious. More critical.
I think—no, I know—we need to make a conscious effort to seek out different perspectives. To challenge our own beliefs. To ask ourselves, ‘Why do I believe this? Where did I hear this? Is it true?’
And look, I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s not. It takes time. It takes effort. But it’s necessary. Because if we don’t, we’re just gonna keep living in these little bubbles, never seeing the bigger picture.
I mean, have you ever read Vermont news today latest? Probably not. But you should. Because it’s different. It’s not what you’re used to seeing. And that’s the point.
And while we’re at it, let’s talk about the role of journalists. We’re supposed to be the ones breaking down these bubbles, not reinforcing them. But too often, we’re not. We’re chasing clicks, chasing engagement, chasing the algorithm. And in the process, we’re losing sight of our real purpose.
I remember a conversation I had with a friend last Tuesday. We were over coffee at the place on 5th, and she said, ‘You know, I used to trust journalists. But now? I’m not so sure.’ And I get it. I do. Because too often, we’re not living up to our end of the bargain.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. There are things we can do. Things we should do. Like supporting quality journalism. Like seeking out different perspectives. Like asking questions. Like challenging our own beliefs.
And look, I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. It’s not. But it’s necessary. Because if we don’t, we’re just gonna keep living in these little bubbles, never seeing the bigger picture.
So let’s start there. Let’s start with awareness. With consciousness. With critical thinking. Because if we don’t, we’re just gonna keep living in these little bubbles, never seeing the bigger picture.
And honestly, that’s not the world I want to live in. Is it the world you want to live in?
I didn’t think so.
Oh, and One More Thing
I was gonna talk about the role of social media in all this, but honestly, I’m tired. And it’s late. And I’ve got a deadline to meet. So let’s save that for another time.
But just remember, we’re all in this together. And if we want to break out of our bubbles, we’ve gotta start with ourselves. We’ve gotta start with awareness. With consciousness. With critical thinking.
And look, I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. It’s not. But it’s necessary. Because if we don’t, we’re just gonna keep living in these little bubbles, never seeing the bigger picture.
So let’s start there. Let’s start with awareness. With consciousness. With critical thinking. Because if we don’t, we’re just gonna keep living in these little bubbles, never seeing the bigger picture.
And honestly, that’s not the world I want to live in. Is it the world you want to live in?
I didn’t think so.
So let’s do something about it. Let’s start with ourselves. Let’s start with awareness. With consciousness. With critical thinking.
Because if we don’t, who will?
About the Author
Sarah Mitchell is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s worked for major publications, covered everything from politics to pop culture, and has a strong opinion on just about everything. When she’s not editing, she’s probably complaining about the state of journalism or trying to convince someone to read a book.
You can find her on Twitter @sarahmitchelled, where she tweets about news, politics, and the occasional cat photo.
For more insights on this topic, you might find The News Is Broken, and I'm particularly informative.