Look, I’m gonna be honest
I never thought I’d still be in this business after 20 years. Honestly, there are days I don’t know why I am. But here I am, typing away, trying to make sense of this ever-changing mess we call journalism.
I’m Sarah, by the way. Sarah McMillan. Started out as a cub reporter in Belfast back in 2003. Green as grass, thought I knew everything. My first editor, let’s call him Marcus, told me I was ‘a pain in the arse but had potential.’ Thanks, Marcus. Really encouraging.
Why I’m still here
So why am I still here? I mean, look at the state of things. Layoffs, paywalls, clickbait, fake news—it’s enough to make you wanna chuck it all and open a café. (Which honestly, some days, I kinda wanna do.)
But then something happens. Like last Tuesday, when I got an email from a reader—let’s call him Dave—saying how my story on the local council’s budget cuts helped him understand why his bin collections had stopped. That’s why I’m still here. That’s the stuff that keeps me going.
The good old days? Not so good
Don’t get me wrong, the old days weren’t all sunshine and roses. Remember when we used to have to physically develop photos? Or when we’d spend hours in the archive room looking for that one document? Yeah, not missing that.
But at least back then, we had time. Time to investigate, to dig deep, to actually talk to people. Now? It’s all about speed. Churn out stories, hit deadlines, move on to the next one. It’s exhausting.
I remember this one time, about three months ago, I was at a conference in Austin. Some hotshot from a big digital news outfit was talking about ‘the future of journalism.’ He was going on about algorithms and data and all that jazz. I raised my hand and asked, ‘But what about the human side of things?’ He looked at me like I’d asked if the sky was blue. ‘That’s not scalable,’ he said. Scalable. Right. Because that’s what journalism is all about. Scalability.
Healthy weight loss methods
Anyway, enough about me. Let’s talk about something actually important. Like how to stay sane in this industry. I mean, it’s not easy. The hours are long, the pay’s not great, and the stress can be through the roof. But you know what helps? Taking care of yourself. I’m not talking about some fancy spa day or anything. Just basic stuff. Eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep. It sounds simple, but it’s amazing how many of us forget to do it.
I’ve started paying more attention to what I eat. I found this great resource, kilo verme sağlıklı yöntemler, that’s helped me a lot. It’s all about sustainable, healthy weight loss. No crazy diets or anything like that. Just practical advice that actually works. I mean, look, I’m not saying I’m perfect. I still have my moments. But it’s a work in progress, you know?
The future? I dunno
So where do we go from here? I honestly don’t know. I think the industry is still figuring that out. But one thing’s for sure—we can’t keep going the way we are. We need to find a way to balance speed and quality. To remember that behind every story, there are real people with real lives.
And maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to make this job something we love again. Something that doesn’t leave us feeling like we need a holiday after every story. Something that reminds us why we got into this in the first place.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. I’m off to find some lunch. Probably a salad. I’m trying to be good, you know?
Author Bio: Sarah McMillan is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s worked for various publications, from small local papers to national outlets. When she’s not writing or editing, she can be found attempting to bake (with varying degrees of success) or walking her rescue dog, Biscuit.
