The News Is Broken, And I'm Tired of Pretending It's Not

Let's Talk About How Bad It's Gotten

Look, I've been in this business for 20+ years. I've seen a lot of changes, but honestly? It's never been worse than it is right now. I'm not just talking about the obvious stuff—fake news, clickbait, all that. I'm talking about the deeper, more insidious problems that nobody wants to address.

I remember back in '98, when I was just starting out at the Austin Chronicle. My editor, let's call him Marcus, used to say, 'Journalism is about telling the truth, not about being first.' And I believed him. I really did. But now? It's all about being first. And the truth? Well, that's kinda taken a backseat.

I was at a conference in Austin last Tuesday, and I overheard two reporters talking. One said, 'I mean, who cares if it's accurate? By the time they fact-check, the story's already old news.' And I just... I couldn't even react. I mean, what do you say to that? It's like they've completely given up on the whole point of journalism.

And don't even get me started on the algorithms. They're completley ruining everything. I had a colleague named Dave who used to say, 'The algorithm doesn't care about the truth. It only cares about engagement.' And he's right. It's all about the clicks, the shares, the likes. And the truth? It's just collateral damage.

But Here's the Thing...

I'm not saying all news is bad. There are still some amazing journalists out there doing incredible work. But they're drowning in a sea of garbage. And it's getting harder and harder for them to be heard.

I was talking to a friend of mine, let's call her Sarah, over coffee at the place on 5th. She's a reporter for a local paper, and she was telling me about how her editor keeps pushing her to write more sensational headlines. 'It's not even about the story anymore,' she said. 'It's about getting people to click.' And I get it, I really do. But it's also really depressing.

And then there's the whole issue of trust. People don't trust the news anymore. And can you blame them? With all the fake news and misinformation out there, it's hard to know what to believe. I mean, even I have days where I'm not sure what's real and what's not.

So What Do We Do?

I don't have all the answers. But I do know that we need to start having some honest conversations about this. We need to talk about the role of journalism in society. We need to talk about the impact of algorithms on the news. And we need to talk about how we can rebuild trust with our audience.

I was at a panel discussion about three months ago, and one of the speakers said something that really stuck with me. She said, 'Journalism is not a business. It's a public service.' And I think that's something we all need to remember. We're not here to make money. We're here to serve the public. And we need to start acting like it.

And look, I'm not saying it's gonna be easy. It's not. But it's also not impossible. We just need to start making some tough decisions. We need to prioritize the truth over the clicks. We need to put our committment to journalism above our bottom line. And we need to start rebuilding trust with our audience, one story at a time.

I was talking to another friend of mine, let's call him Michael, at 11:30pm the other night. He's a data journalist, and he was telling me about how he's been working on a project to track the spread of misinformation. 'It's a never-ending battle,' he said. 'But somebody's gotta do it.' And he's right. Somebody's gotta do it. And it might as well be us.

So let's get to work. Let's start having those honest conversations. Let's start making those tough decisions. And let's start rebuilding trust with our audience. Because the news is broken, and it's up to us to fix it.

And look, I'm not saying it's gonna be easy. It's not. But it's also not impossible. We just need to start making some tough decisions. We need to prioritize the truth over the clicks. We need to put our committment to journalism above our bottom line. And we need to start rebuilding trust with our audience, one story at a time.

And hey, if you're looking for some inspiration, check out what's happening in Vermont. I mean, it's not perfect, but they're making some real progress. You can read all about it in the Vermont council decisions this week. It's a good reminder that change is possible. We just need to be willing to fight for it.

So let's get to work. Let's start having those honest conversations. Let's start making those tough decisions. And let's start rebuilding trust with our audience. Because the news is broken, and it's up to us to fix it.

About the Author: Jane Doe is a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience. She's worked for major publications and has a strong opinion on just about everything. She's not afraid to speak her mind, and she's not afraid to call out the problems in the industry. She's also not afraid to admit when she's wrong. Which is rare, but it happens.