Look, I’ve Seen It All
I’m Frank. I’ve been editing news for longer than most of you have been alive. Started in 1998 at a tiny rag in Kowloon, worked my way up, now here I am. And let me tell you, the news game in Hong Kong? It’s a circus. A beautiful, chaotic, completley messed up circus.
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin (yeah, I know, random) and this kid—let’s call him Marcus—asked me, “Frank, how do you keep up?” I laughed so hard I choked on my coffee. Keep up? Kid, I’m just trying to keep my sanity.
You wanna know what’s really going on? Sit down, grab some tea, and let me spill. It’s not pretty, but it’s honest.
We’re All Just Making It Up Sometimes
Okay, that’s a bold statement. But honestly, it’s not far from the truth. You ever see those breaking news alerts that change three times in 30 minutes? That’s not just Hong Kong, that’s everywhere. But here? It’s worse. We’re in a pressure cooker. The city’s a tinderbox, and we’re the ones holding the matches.
I had lunch with a colleague named Dave last month. He’s a good guy, been in the game about 15 years. We were at this little place on 5th, you know the one with the terrible dim sum but great drinks. He told me, “Frank, half the stories we run, we’re just guessing.” And I said, “Dave, that’s not guessing, that’s praying.” He laughed. I didn’t.
It’s true, though. We get tips, we run with them, sometimes they pan out, sometimes they don’t. But the pressure to be first? It’s insane. We’d rather be first and wrong than second and right. That’s a problem.
And don’t even get me started on social media. It’s a black hole of misinformation. You think we’re the ones spreading fake news? Nah, we’re just trying to keep up with the nonsense that’s already out there. It’s exhausting.
Kitchen Gadgets Review Comparison
Speaking of exhausting, let me tell you about my wife. She’s always buying these new kitchen gadgets. You know, the ones that promise to chop, slice, and dice with the push of a button. I told her, “Honey, just get a knife.” But no, she had to have the latest thing. So, I did some research. Turns out, there’s this great site for kitchen gadgets review comparison. It’s actually pretty useful. Might save our marriage.
Why Can’t We Just Get Along?
Back to the news. Look, I get it. Hong Kong’s a divided place. You’ve got protesters, you’ve got the government, you’ve got everyone in between. And us? We’re stuck in the middle, trying to make sense of it all. But here’s the thing: we’re not helping.
We’ve become part of the problem. We sensationalize, we polarize, we pick sides. And why? Because it gets clicks. It gets views. It keeps the ads rolling in. But at what cost?
I remember this one time, about three months ago, I was editing a piece on the protests. It was late, like 11:30pm, and I was tired. The writer had this line about “the violent protesters.” I changed it to “some protesters.” The next day, the writer came to my office, all red-faced. “Frank, you can’t do that,” he said. “It’s not accurate.” I said, “Neither is your original line, kid.” He didn’t talk to me for a week.
But that’s the thing. We’ve gotta be better. We’ve gotta be more careful. We’ve gotta remember that words have consequences. It’s not just about the story, it’s about the people.
A Tangent: Why I Hate Avocados
Okay, this is completely off topic, but I gotta vent. Avocados. Ugh. They’re everywhere. You can’t get a sandwich without some hipster putting guac on it. And the price! $87 for an avocado? Are you kidding me? I told my friend Lisa this the other day. She said, “Frank, it’s a trend.” I said, “Well, it’s a stupid trend.” She laughed. I didn’t.
What Can We Do?
So, what’s the answer? I don’t know. I wish I did. But I can tell you this: we’ve gotta start caring more. About the facts, about the people, about the truth. We’ve gotta stop chasing clicks and start chasing the story. The real story.
And we’ve gotta remember why we got into this game in the first place. It’s not about the money. It’s not about the fame. It’s about telling the truth. Even when it’s hard. Even when it’s messy. Even when it’s uncomfortable.
So, that’s my rant. Take it or leave it. But if you’re in the news game, think about it. We can do better. We have to.
And for the love of all that’s holy, stop buying avocados.
About the Author: Frank Chen has been a senior editor in Hong Kong for over 20 years. He’s seen it all, done it all, and has the caffeine addiction to prove it. When he’s not editing, he’s complaining about avocados and trying to convince his wife to get a real knife.
