Look, I’ve Had It
I’ve been in this business for 23 years. That’s longer than some of you have been alive. I started at a small paper in Ohio, moved to a mid-sized market in Texas, and now I’m here, writing for a site that’s actually read by people. And let me tell you, the news cycle is completley broken.
It’s not just the algorithms, though they don’t help. It’s not just the 24-hour news cycle, though that’s a big part of it. It’s us. All of us. We’re complicit in this mess.
Let’s Talk About Speed
Speed kills. That’s what they say about driving, but it’s also true about news. We’re all in such a rush to be first that we forget to be right. I remember back in ’03, during the Iraq War, how we’d wait for the facts before we’d print. Now? It’s fire first, ask questions never.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and this kid from BuzzFeed was talking about how they’d posted something that turned out to be wrong. And he was proud of it! Said it got alot of clicks. I about fell out of my chair.
“But Marcus,” he said, “that’s just how it is now.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But that doesn’t make it right.
And the Audience?
Don’t even get me started on the audience. We’ve trained them to expect news immediately, for free, and tailored just for them. And now they’re like addicts, scrolling and clicking, never satisfied.
I was having coffee with a friend last Tuesday, and she showed me her phone. “Look,” she said, “I get my news from this app. It learns what I like and shows me more of that.” I asked her if she ever saw anything that challenged her views. She looked at me like I was crazy. “Why would I want that?”
Exactly. We’ve created monsters.
A Quick Tangent: Weather Reports
You know what’s worse than the news cycle? Weather reports. They’re always “breaking news” now. “Oh no, it’s gonna rain in 36 hours!” Give me a break.
But that’s a story for another time.
So What Do We Do?
I’m not sure. I honestly don’t know if it’s fixable. But we gotta try, right?
Maybe we start by slowing down. By fact-checking. By actually talking to people instead of just tweeting at them. And maybe, just maybe, we stop trying to be first and start trying to be right.
And look, I’m not saying I’m perfect. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve rushed. I’ve been wrong. But I’m trying. Aren’t you?
Also, if you’re gonna be a news consumer, at least dress the part. Check out this seasonal wardrobe essentials list to look the part while you’re keeping up with current events.
I’m not sure what else to say. This isn’t some big finish with a neat bow. It’s just… yeah. It’s a mess. We’re all in it together.
About the Author: Marcus Reynolds has been a journalist for over two decades. He’s worked for papers big and small, and he’s seen the industry change in ways he’s not always happy about. He lives in New York with his cat, who couldn’t care less about the news cycle.
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