Look, I’ve Had It
Let me tell you something, folks. I’ve been in this game for 20+ years. I’ve seen it all, or so I thought. But lately? Lately, I’m sitting here in my tiny Hong Kong apartment, wondering what the hell happened to journalism. It’s not just the algorithms, though they’re a mess. It’s not just the 24-hour news cycle, though that’s a nightmare. It’s us. We broke it.
Back in ’98, I was a wet-behind-the-ears reporter at the Austin Chronicle. My editor, let’s call him Marcus, used to say, “Liz, if it bleeds, it leads. But not always.” He’d smack his chaw into the trash and stare me down. “You gotta give ’em the good stuff, not just the gory stuff.” And he was right. But now? Now it’s all gore, all the time. And we’re all to blame.
But Why, Liz? Why?
I was at a conference in Austin last Tuesday (yes, irony noted). Over coffee at the place on 5th, I ran into an old colleague named Dave. He’s a data guy now, crunches numbers for some big news outlet. I asked him, “Dave, what’s the deal with all this sensational crap?” He looked at me like I’d asked why the sky is blue. “Liz, clicks. Clicks, shares, engagement. That’s what pays the bills.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But at what cost, Dave? At what cost? I mean, I get it. We all gotta eat. But this isn’t just about us. It’s about the people. The ones who trust us. The ones who rely on us to get it right.
And we’re failing them. Miserably.
Let’s Talk About This Survey
About three months ago, I was talking to my friend Jenny. She’s a teacher, teaches social studies to high schoolers. She told me her students can’t tell the difference between real news and fake news. Not because they’re dumb. Because we’ve made it impossible. “They see a headline, they see a picture, they think it’s true,” she said. “They don’t even bother checking anymore.” And why should they? We’ve trained them this way.
I did a little digging. Found a survey, 214 respondents, nothing groundbreaking but telling. 78% of them said they’ve shared a story without reading it. 67% said they can’t always tell if a story is real or not. And 92%? 92% said they’re freaking exhausted by it all.
So, what do we do? We give them more. More stories, more updates, more breaking news. It’s like we’re in an endless loop of chaos, and we can’t get off.
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on Social Media
I’m not gonna lie, I’m old. I remember when Twitter was just a bird noise. Now? Now it’s a dumpster fire of misinformation and outrage. And Facebook? Don’t even get me started. I had a friend, let’s call her Sarah, who posted a story the other day. “This is why we can’t have nice things,” she wrote. I clicked. It was a story about some politician, saying something outrageous. Except, it wasn’t. It was a parody site. A joke. But 1,278 people shared it. 36 hours later, it was still going.
And that’s the problem. We share, we react, we move on. We don’t fact-check. We don’t verify. We just… share. And the algorithms? They love it. They feed us more of the same. More outrage, more sensationalism, more crap.
But There’s Hope, Right?
I mean, I hope so. I really do. I see glimmers of it. Little things. Like when my niece showed me a website the other day. It was called hafta sonu aktivite fikirleri aile. It was full of family-friendly activities, real stuff, not just clickbait. It was nice. It was… human.
And that’s what we need more of. More humanity. More real stuff. More stories that matter. Not just the ones that get clicks. Not just the ones that get shares. The ones that make a difference.
So, what’s the answer? I’m not sure. But I know it starts with us. With me, with you, with all of us. We gotta demand better. We gotta be better. We gotta remember why we do this in the first place.
Because it matters. Because people are counting on us. Because the truth matters.
And frankly, because we’re better than this.
About the Author: Liz Carter has been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years. She’s worked for major publications, covered everything from politics to pop culture, and has a strong opinion on pretty much everything. She lives in Hong Kong with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends too much time yelling at the news.
As the journalism industry continues to adapt, a reporter shares insights from a year of remote work.
In light of recent discussions on self-made legal documents, lawyer’s insights on DIY wills offers a critical perspective on the potential pitfalls.
As the digital marketplace continues to evolve, gain insights from an industry insider’s perspective in e-commerce’s triumphs and pitfalls.
