The News Is Broken, And We're All To Blame

Look, I've Been Around The Block

Let me tell you something, folks. I've been a journalist for 22 years, and I'm telling you the news is broken. It's not just the algorithms or the clickbait headlines. It's us. We're all to blame.

I remember back in '03, when 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." That was the game back then. But now? It's like we're all bleeding all the time, and nothing's leading anywhere.

I was having coffee with my friend Dave last Tuesday. Dave's a regular guy, works at the post office. He said, "Liz, I don't know what's real anymore." And I get it. I mean, I'm a professional, and even I'm confused.

Social Media Is Eating Our Brains

Social media is the worst. It's like we've all got a little dopamine dealer in our pockets. And honestly, it's completley ruining our ability to think critically.

I was at a conference in Austin last month, and this data scientist, Dr. Patricia Chen, she said something that stuck with me. "We're seeing a 47% increase in misinformation sharing over the past five years," she told the crowd. "And it's not just the bots. It's people. Regular people like you and me."

Which... yeah. Fair enough. But what are we gonna do about it? I mean, I see my own mom sharing stuff on Facebook that's just not true. And she's a smart lady! She taught high school physics for 30 years!

But Here's The Thing

We can't just blame Facebook or Twitter or whatever. It's bigger than that. It's this weird cultural moment where we'd rather be outraged than informed.

I was talking to a colleague named Sarah about this. She said, "Liz, it's like we've got this aquisition of outrage. We're collecting it like Pokémon. Got to catch 'em all!"

And I'm like, "Sarah, that's dark." But she's not wrong. I mean, look at the comments section on any news story. It's a dumpster fire.

And Don't Even Get Me Started On The Echo Chambers

We've built these little bubbles for ourselves. And inside those bubbles, we're all screaming at each other. But nobody's listening. Nobody's learning.

I had this guy, let's call him Greg, comment on my article last week. He said, "You're all biased!" And I'm like, "Greg, buddy, we're all biased. That's the point. We gotta acknowledge that and move on."

But Greg didn't wanna move on. He wanted to yell some more. And that's the problem. We're all Greg now.

So What Do We Do?

I don't know, honestly. I mean, I've got some ideas. But they're not gonna be popular.

First off, we gotta teach media literacy in schools. Like, yesterday. Kids need to understand how news works, how to spot bias, how to think critically about what they're reading.

Second, we gotta hold ourselves accountable. As journalists, as readers, as human beings. We gotta say, "Hey, maybe I'm wrong here. Maybe I need to do some more research."

And third, we gotta support quality journalism. That means subscribing to newspapers, paying for content, sharing good work. It's gonna cost us some money, but it's an investment in democracy.

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But Here's The Real Issue

We're all so busy being outraged that we're not paying attention to the real stuff. The important stuff. The stuff that's gonna affect our lives in 10, 20 years.

I was reading this report the other day. It said that only 12% of Americans can name their representatives in Congress. 12%! That's insane. We're more concerned with celebrity gossip than our own governance.

And it's not just politics. It's everything. Climate change, public health, education. We're ignoring the big stuff because it's hard. Because it's complicated. Because it doesn't fit into a 280-character tweet.

I'm Not Sure What To Tell You

I wish I had some big, grand solution. But I don't. I'm just a journalist trying to make sense of this mess.

Maybe we just need to start talking to each other again. Like, actually talking. Not yelling past each other on Twitter. Not sharing outrage-bait on Facebook. But sitting down and having a real conversation.

I dunno. Maybe that's naive. But I think it's worth a shot.

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. I'm gonna go drink some whiskey and listen to some Tom Waits. You should try it. It helps.

About the Author
Liz Carter has been a journalist for 22 years, working at various publications across Texas. She currently lives in Austin with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends too much time yelling at her TV about politics. She's probably wrong about most things, but she's passionate about it.