I’m Tired of Fake News, and You Should Be Too
Look, I’ve been in this business for 20-plus years. I’ve seen alot of changes, but nothing like this. Nothing. I’m talking about the completeley broken state of news consumption today. It’s a mess. A total mess.
I remember when I started at the Hong Kong News Times back in 1998. We had deadlines, sure, but we also had time. Time to check facts, to talk to sources, to actually think about what we were putting out into the world. Now? It’s a circus. A 24/7, always-on, clickbait-driven circus.
And don’t even get me started on social media. I was having coffee last Tuesday with an old friend, let’s call him Marcus. He’s a journalist too, been in the game about as long as I have. We were talking about how our kids don’t even know what a newspaper is. They get their news from TikTok, for god’s sake. TikTok!
“It’s not just the kids,” Marcus said. “It’s everyone. My mom shares Facebook posts without reading them. My brother-in-law gets his news from memes.” I laughed, but honestly, it’s not funny. It’s terrifying.
Which brings me to the point of all this. We need to talk about how we consume news. Because if we don’t, we’re screwed. We’re already seeing the effects of this infodemic, this aquisition of misinformation. It’s physicaly making us sick, both mentally and physically.
I’m not saying I have all the answers. I don’t. But I do know that we need to start somewhere. And that somewhere is with ourselves. We need to be more critical consumers of news. We need to ask questions, to verify facts, to think before we share.
And look, I get it. It’s hard. It’s time-consuming. But it’s necessary. Because the alternative is a world where truth doesn’t matter, where facts are flexible, where anyone can say anything and it’s taken as gospel.
So, what can we do? Well, for starters, we can stop relying on algorithms to tell us what to think. We can seek out diverse perspectives, not just the ones that confirm our biases. We can support quality journalism, even if it means paying for it. We can teach our kids the difference between news and opinion. We can do alot, if we just put our minds to it.
But it’s gonna take a committment. A real one. And it’s gonna take all of us. Because this isn’t just a problem for journalists. It’s a problem for everyone. It’s a problem for society.
And while we’re at it, let’s talk about the role of technology. I mean, sure, it’s given us access to more information than ever before. But it’s also made it harder to determing what’s real and what’s not. It’s created echo chambers where we only hear what we want to hear. It’s made us lazy. It’s made us stupid.
I’m not saying we should throw out our smartphones and go live in a cave. But we do need to be more mindful of how we use them. We need to be more intentional about the content we consume. We need to be more critical of the sources we trust.
And hey, if you’re looking for some inspiration, check out what’s happening over in Taiwan. They’re doing some really interesting things with community journalism. I mean, sure, it’s not perfect, but it’s a start. And honestly, we need all the starts we can get right now. So, if you’re looking for Taiwan things to do this weekend, maybe also check out how they’re handling their news. You might learn a thing or two.
But back to the point. The real point. The one that’s been bugging me for years. We need to remember that news is more than just a product. It’s more than just a way to fill our time or distract ourselves from our problems. It’s a public good. It’s a commons. It’s something that we all have a stake in, something that we all need to protect.
And that means holding journalists accountable. It means demanding better from our news organizations. It means supporting the ones that are doing it right and calling out the ones that aren’t. It means being active consumers, not passive ones. It means caring. It means giving a damn.
So, let’s start there. Let’s start with caring. Let’s start with giving a damn. Because if we don’t, who will?
I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to give up on truth just yet. I’m not ready to live in a world where facts don’t matter. I’m not ready to accept that this is just how things are now. I’m not ready to stop fighting.
And neither should you.
About the Author: Sarah Chen has been a journalist for over 20 years, working in print, broadcast, and digital media. She’s covered everything from local city council meetings to international conflicts, and she’s not afraid to call out bad journalism when she sees it. She currently lives in Hong Kong with her husband, two kids, and a very opinionated cat. She tweets (yes, she’s one of those) at @sarahchenhk.
In the world of current events and sports journalism, few topics are as compelling as the unique passion surrounding Irish sports; delve into the heart of Irish sports to understand why.
