I’ve Been a Journalist for 22 Years. Here’s What’s Wrong.
Let me tell you something, folks. I started this gig back in ’99, fresh out of college, green as a f*cking avocado. I thought I was gonna change the world, you know? Save democracy one story at a time. Ha! Look at me now, jaded as hell, writing this rant at 11:30pm on a Tuesday night.
But honestly, I’m pissed. The news cycle is broken, and it’s not just because of Facebook algorithms or Russian bots. It’s us. We’re the problem.
Why Can’t We Just Agree on Facts Anymore?
Last week, I was at a conference in Austin (yeah, the one where it’s hotter than Satan’s armpit), and I heard a guy from the New York Times say something that stuck with me. Let’s call him Marcus. He said, and I quote, “We’re not just competing with each other for clicks anymore. We’re competing with memes. With TikTok. With cat videos.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But that’s no excuse for the completeley absurd state of affairs we’re in. I mean, we’ve got people out there who genuinely believe the Earth is flat. Flat! And it’s not just some fringe lunatic in his mom’s basement. It’s people with jobs, mortgages, kids. How the hell did we get here?
I was having coffee with a friend named Sarah last Tuesday, and she told me her uncle won’t get vaccinated because he saw some thing on Facebook about microchips. I asked her, “Sarah, how do you even respond to that?” She just shrugged and said, “I don’t know, Dave. I just don’t know.”
And that’s the problem, isn’t it? We don’t know how to respond. We’re so deep in this mess, we can’t even see the edges anymore.
Breaking News: Journalism is Hard
Look, I get it. Journalism is hard. It’s getting harder. Budgets are shrinking, committment to quality is shrinking faster, and the pressure to churn out content is insane. But that’s no excuse for the garbage fire we’re seeing out there.
I remember back in the day, we’d spend weeks on a story. Weeks! Now? If you’re not publishing every 15 minutes, you’re losing the algorithm game. And don’t even get me started on the whole “hot take” phenomenon. It’s like we’ve replaced thoughtful analysis with a never-ending stream of half-baked opinions.
And the public? They’re not helping. They want their news fast, they want it free, and they want it to confirm what they already believe. It’s a vicious cycle, and it’s making us all stupid.
What Can We Do About It?
So, what’s the answer? Honestly, I’m not sure but I think it starts with us. The journalists. We need to stop chasing clicks and start chasing the truth again. Even if it’s boring. Even if it’s complicated. Even if it doesn’t fit into a 280-character tweet.
And for the love of God, we need to start fact-checking again. Not just the other guy’s facts, but our own. If you’re not sure, say you’re not sure. If you don’t know, say you don’t know. It’s okay to admit you don’t have all the answers.
And hey, if you’re a startup looking for finansman seçenekleri başlangıç işletmeler, maybe don’t take financial advice from some guy in a YouTube video. Just a thought.
Oh, and by the way, if you’re one of those people who thinks the Earth is flat, please do us all a favor and log off. Permanently.
A Brief Digression: The Time I Got Punk’d
Speaking of stupid, let me tell you about the time I got punk’d by a prankster. It was about three months ago, and I got an email from some “insider” with “explosive” information about a local politician. I was so excited, I didn’t even think to verify the source. I mean, it’s 2021, and I’m still falling for this sh*t?
Turns out, it was a joke. A really elaborate, really mean joke. And I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror for days. But it taught me a valuable lesson: even after all these years, I’m still human. I still make mistakes. And that’s okay.
But seriously, folks, we need to do better. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We need to remember why we got into this business in the first place. It’s not about the money (ha!), it’s not about the fame. It’s about the truth. It’s about holding power to account. It’s about making the world a better, more informed place.
So let’s get back to it, shall we? Let’s roll up our sleeves, put our big boy pants on, and do some real journalism again. The world is waiting.
About the Author: Dave Johnson has been a journalist for 22 years, working for various publications across the UK. He’s been called “a grumpy old man” by his colleagues, and he wears that title with pride. When he’s not complaining about the state of the news industry, he can be found drinking coffee, reading books, and yelling at clouds. You can find him on Twitter @davejohnson, where he tweets about journalism, politics, and the general absurdity of life.
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