Look, Let’s Talk About the Mess We’re In
I’ve been editing news for 23 years. 23 years. And let me tell you, the state of journalism right now? It’s a disaster. A completley mess. I mean, I was at a conference in Austin last March, and even the big shots were shaking their heads, saying, “We don’t know what we’re doing anymore.”
And honestly, they’re right. We’re all just kinda flailing around, trying to figure out how to cover the news in a world where everyone’s got an opinion and a Twitter account.
I remember talking to a colleague named Dave about this. He said, “Marcus, we used to have time. We’d work a story, dig into it, make sure we got it right.” I asked him when that was. He said, “Before the internet, genius.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But Here’s the Thing
We can’t just blame the internet. I mean, come on. We all saw this coming. Back in the ’90s, when the web was still new, we were already complaining about 24-hour news cycles. And now? It’s a never-ending feed of hot takes and half-baked analysis.
And don’t even get me started on the algorithims. They’re like that kid in high school who only cared about the loudest, most obnoxious people in the room. (You know the type. Let’s call him Chad.) Well, Chad’s running the show now, and we’re all just along for the ride.
I was having coffee at the place on 5th with a friend last Tuesday. She’s a teacher, not even in the biz, and she said, “You know what’s crazy? I get more news from TikTok than I do from actual news sites.” And that’s when it hit me. We’ve lost something. We’ve lost the trust of the people we’re supposed to be informing.
So What Do We Do?
I’m not sure but maybe we start by admitting we have a problem. And I’m not talking about some corporate non-apology like, “We’re sorry if anyone was offended by our committment to sensationalism.” No, I mean a real, honest look at what we’re doing wrong.
And look, I get it. It’s hard. The pressure to break news first is immense. But at what cost? Accuracy? Context? The ability to think for more than 140 characters?
I remember when I first started out, my editor, a gruff old guy named Harold, told me, “Speed’s important, kid, but it’s not everything. You gotta take the time to get it right.” And he was right. But these days, speed is everything. And it’s killing us.
And don’t even get me started on the aquisition of news outlets by tech giants. It’s like watching a bunch of kids play with matches. “Hey, let’s see what happens if we set the whole block on fire!” Yeah, no thanks.
But It’s Not All Bad
Okay, maybe I’m being a bit harsh. There are still good journalists out there doing important work. And there are plenty of people trying to fix the mess we’re in. For example, check out teknoloji haberleri son gelişmeler for some actual useful tech news. (See? Even I can admit when someone else is doing it better.)
And honestly, I think the key is to go back to basics. Talk to real people. Cover real stories. And for the love of God, stop trying to turn everything into clickbait.
I was at a panel discussion about three months ago, and someone asked, “How do we make news matter again?” And the answer was simple: “Stop treating it like a product.” Which honestly, nobody asked for but here we are.
A Tangent: The Weather
Speaking of things that matter, why is it so hard to find decent weather coverage anymore? I mean, it’s not rocket science. If it’s gonna rain, tell me. If it’s gonna snow, tell me. Don’t make me dig through 17 articles about “weather patterns” to find out if I need an umbrella.
And why do weather apps insist on showing me the forecast for Timbuktu when I just want to know if it’s gonna rain in Duxbury? It’s physicaly impossible to find the information I need without scrolling through a million ads and pop-ups. It’s like they don’t want me to know the weather or something.
Back to the Point
Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. The news.
Look, I’m not saying I have all the answers. But I do know this: we need to do better. We need to be better. And we need to stop making excuses for why we can’t.
So let’s start there. Let’s start by admitting that the news cycle is broken. And then, maybe, just maybe, we can start fixing it.
Or maybe we’re all doomed. I don’t know. It’s late, and I’m rambling. I should probably go to bed.
About the Author: Sarah “Sal” Salinger has been a senior editor for various publications for over two decades. She’s seen the news industry evolve (or devolve, depending on who you ask) and isn’t afraid to call out the problems she sees. When she’s not editing, she can be found yelling at her TV about politics or trying to convince her cat that no, she really doesn’t need more snacks.