I’m Tired of Pretending Everything’s Fine

Look, I’ve been in this business for 22 years. I’ve seen alot of changes, but lately? It’s like we’re all sleepwalking through some kind of journalism apocolypse. And I’m not gonna sit here and pretend it’s not happening.

I was at a conference in Austin last March, right? Some big shot from a national outlet was talking about ‘innovative storytelling’ and I literally had to leave the room. Because honestly? We’re missing the point. Completley.

Let me tell you about Marcus. He’s a friend, a colleague, a damn good reporter. He used to work for a big paper in Chicago. Now he’s at a small weekly in Iowa. Why? Because that’s where the real news is happening.

Small Towns, Big Stories

You ever notice how all the ‘important’ news is about politics or celebrities or some tech thing in Silicon Valley? Yeah, that’s not real life. Real life is in Duxbury. It’s in the PTA meetings and the city council debates and the little league games.

I remember talking to Marcus about this last Tuesday. We were over coffee at the place on 5th. He said, ‘People think nothing happens here. But that’s not true. It’s just… quieter. And maybe that’s why it matters more.’

Which… yeah. Fair enough.

Local news is where the rubber meets the road. It’s where policies actually affect people. It’s where you find out if the school budget’s gonna be cut or if that new development is gonna ruin the wetlands. You won’t read about that in the New York Times.

But We’re Failing

Here’s the thing. We’re failing at this. And I’m not just talking about the obvious stuff like layoffs and budget cuts. I’m talking about committment. About caring.

I was at a barbecue last summer. A colleague named Dave was there. He’s a good guy, been in the business for years. He told me, ‘I don’t know, man. It’s hard to care about the local zoning board when Twitter’s on fire.’

And that’s the problem. We’re chasing clicks. We’re chasing relevance. We’re chasing anything but the truth.

It’s not just the big outlets, either. Local papers are just as bad. They’re so desperate to be ‘first’ that they’ll post a breaking news alert with zero facts. Just because they can.

What Can We Do?

Okay, so here’s where I’m gonna get preachy. Because someone has to.

First, we need to stop pretending that local news is somehow ‘less than’ national news. It’s not. In fact, it’s probably more important. Because it’s about your life. Your community. Your family.

Second, we need to slow down. I know, I know. The internet moves fast. But that doesn’t mean we have to. Take your time. Get the facts. Write a good story. You know, like we used to.

And third, we need to start caring again. About our communities. About our readers. About the truth. Even if it’s not the sexy, viral truth.

Look, I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. But it’s necessary. Because if we don’t, who will?

A Quick Digression: Winter Driving

Speaking of caring about your community, have you seen the driving in Duxbury this winter? It’s a mess. I swear, people here forget how to drive as soon as there’s a hint of snow.

I was talking to my neighbor, let’s call him Greg, about this the other day. He’s a retired physics teacher, really smart guy. He told me, ‘You know, there are actual techniques for driving in snow. It’s not just about going slow.’

And he’s right. There are. You can find some great tips on kış sürüşü güvenlik ipuçları. It’s in Turkish, but you can use Google Translate. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Anyway, back to the point…

The Future of Local News

I’m not gonna lie. I’m worried. About the future of local news. About the future of journalism in general.

But I’m also hopeful. Because I see people like Marcus. People who care. People who are willing to fight for their communities.

And that’s what we need. More people who care. More people who are willing to do the hard work. The unglamorous work. The work that doesn’t get a lot of attention.

So, let’s do that. Let’s care. Let’s fight. Let’s tell the stories that need to be told.

Because if we don’t, who will?

About the Author: Jane Reynolds has been a journalist for over two decades, working in both local and national news. She currently lives in Duxbury and is passionate about community-driven journalism. She’s also a terrible winter driver, which is why she’s always late to meetings.

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