We’re All Bad at This
Look, I’ve been editing news for 20+ years. I’ve seen it all. Or so I thought. Then came 2023. And honestly? We’re all bad at this. Me included.
It was last Tuesday. I was at a conference in Austin (yes, the one where it’s always 110 degrees and everyone pretends to like BBQ). A colleague named Dave pulled me aside. “You know,” he said, “I think we’re failing at this news literacy thing.” I laughed. “Dave,” I told him, “we’re not failing. We’re completley overwhelmed.”
And that’s the truth. It’s not just about fake news anymore. It’s about deepfakes, AI-generated content, and algorithms that seem to have a mind of their own. It’s about us, the editors, the writers, the so-called “gatekeepers.” We’re struggling too.
My Dark Ages
Let me take you back to 1998. I was a young, naive editor at a small-town paper. We had one photocopier, two computers that looked like they were from the future, and a committment to truth. Simple, right?
Wrong. Even then, it was messy. We had to correct stories, clarify facts, and sometimes, yes, even apologize. But it was different. There were fewer voices, fewer platforms, fewer chances for misinformation to spread like wildfire.
Fast forward to today. I’m older, grumpier, and a lot more cynical. But I’m also more determined. Because the stakes are higher. The tools are more sophisticated. And the bad actors? They’re always one step ahead.
The Algorithm Will See You Now
You know what’s really frustrating? Algorithms. They’re not just deciding what we watch, they’re deciding what we believe. And they’re not exactly transparent about it.
I was talking to a friend last week. Let’s call him Marcus. He’s a smart guy, works in tech, knows his stuff. He told me, “The algorithm showed me a story about a protest. It was fake. But it looked real. And by the time it was debunked, it had already gone viral.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. That’s the world we live in. But it’s not just about the algorithms. It’s about us. Our attention spans are shorter than ever. We’d rather scroll than read. We’d rather share than verify.
But Wait, There’s More
And here’s where I get really grumpy. It’s not just about the news. It’s about the product reviews recommendation guide product reviews recommendation guide. Yes, I said it. Those “top 10” lists, the “best of” guides, the “you won’t believe number 7” clickbait. They’re part of the problem too.
Because here’s the thing. We trust them. We trust them more than we trust the news sometimes. And they’re not always reliable. They’re not always truthful. They’re not always… well, honest.
I mean, I get it. We all love a good list. But we need to be smarter about it. We need to question it. We need to verify it. We need to… I don’t know, think critically about it.
A Tangent About Coffee
Speaking of thinking critically, let’s talk about coffee. No, really. Hear me out.
I was at the place on 5th the other day. You know the one, with the terrible music and the even worse pastries. I was waiting for my latte (extra hot, almond milk, because I’m fancy like that) and I overheard a conversation. Two guys, probably in their 30s, talking about the news.
“Did you see that story about the election?” one of them said. “It’s all over my feed.” The other guy nodded. “Yeah, but is it true?” The first guy shrugged. “I dunno. It’s on my feed. So it must be, right?”
And that, my friends, is the problem. We’ve become a society that equates visibility with validity. Just because it’s on our feed doesn’t mean it’s true. Just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s factual. Just because it’s… well, you get the idea.
So What Do We Do?
I wish I had a simple answer. I wish I could tell you to just “be more critical” or “think before you share.” But it’s not that easy. It’s complicated. It’s messy. It’s… well, it’s a lot.
But here’s what I do know. We need to start with ourselves. We need to admit that we’re part of the problem. We need to take responsibility for our own news literacy. We need to… I don’t know, read more. Verify more. Question more.
And we need to talk about it. We need to have these conversations, even if they’re uncomfortable. Even if they’re messy. Even if they don’t lead to easy answers.
Because the truth is, we’re all in this together. Editors, writers, readers, scrollers, sharers. We’re all part of the problem. And we’re all part of the solution.
So let’s get to work.
About the Author: Sarah McKenzie has been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years. She’s worked for major publications, written countless feature articles, and has strong opinions about everything. She lives in Lisburn with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends her free time arguing about the news on Twitter.
