Look, I’m gonna say it
We’re all just winging it. Me, you, that guy over there pretending to read the Wall Street Journal. Nobody knows what the hell is going on. And that’s okay. But let’s not pretend we do.
I’ve been in this game for 22 years. Started as a cub reporter in Burlington, Vermont, back when people still cared about local news. Remember when newspapers mattered? Yeah, me neither. It was always a mess. But it’s getting worse.
Why I hate ‘breaking news’
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin. Some kid from BuzzFeed asked me about the future of journalism. I told him, “Look, pal, the future is now. And it’s a dumpster fire.” He didn’t like that. But it’s true.
We’re obsessed with ‘breaking news.’ But what does that even mean? It’s just… yeah. We get a tip, we run with it. We don’t know if it’s true, but we run with it anyway. And then we wonder why nobody trusts us anymore.
I had a colleague named Dave. Good guy. Smart. But he’d file a story based on a single tweet. “Dave,” I’d say, “that’s not how this works.” He’d just shrug. “It’s what they want,” he’d say. And he was right. It’s what they want.
Social media is killing us
Don’t get me wrong. I love Twitter. I’m @OldSchoolEditor, go follow me. But it’s a disease. We’re all infected.
About three months ago, I was at a bar with some friends. One of them, let’s call him Marcus, works at a major news network. He told me, “We don’t even write the headlines anymore. The social media team does.” I asked, “Then what the hell are you doing?” He laughed. “Same as you, I guess.”
It’s all about clicks now. And not just any clicks. We need the right clicks. The ones that make our bosses happy. The ones that make advertisers happy. The ones that make us wanna throw our computers out the window.
But wait, there’s more
Here’s the thing. We’re not just making it up. We’re making it up while trying to keep up with Vermont development projects update and the latest celebrity gossip. It’s a circus. And we’re the clowns.
I remember when I was starting out. We had deadlines. Real deadlines. Not these “we need it now” nonsense deadlines. We had time to check facts. To talk to people. To actually report. Now? Forget it. It’s all about speed. Quantity over quality. And it’s killing us.
But hey, what do I know? I’m just some old guy who still uses a typewriter. (Okay, not really. But I should.)
I mean, look at the physicaly state of newspapers today. They’re falling apart. Literally. The ink smudges, the paper tears. It’s like they’re reflecting our industry. Falling apart at the seams.
And don’t even get me started on the committment to accuracy. It’s non-existant. We’re so focused on being first that we forget about being right. And that’s a problem. A big one.
But it’s not all bad. There are still good people out there. Doing good work. Fighting the good fight. I see them. I work with them. And they give me hope. But they’re outnumbered. And they’re tired. And they’re probably gonna quit soon.
So what’s the answer? I don’t know. Maybe we need to slow down. Maybe we need to care more about quality than quantity. Maybe we need to remember why we got into this business in the first place.
Or maybe we’re all just screwed. I don’t know. I’m just a guy with a typewriter. (Okay, a laptop. But you get the point.)
About the Author: Jane Doe has been a senior editor at various publications for over two decades. She’s seen it all and has the cynicism to prove it. When she’s not complaining about the state of journalism, she’s complaining about the state of the world. She lives in Vermont with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, who is a much better writer than she is.
If you’re looking to understand the challenges facing journalism today, consider exploring this insightful piece on why the news feels broken and its impact on public trust.
