Look, I’ve Had It
It’s 11:30pm on a Tuesday, and I’m staring at my screen, scrolling through news headlines that make me wanna throw my laptop out the window. I’m Marcus, by the way. Been editing for Lisburn News for 22 years. Yeah, I’ve seen alot, but honestly, it’s getting worse.
You know what I’m talking about. The clickbait, the sensationalism, the straight-up lies. It’s not just the big networks, either. It’s local news, too. It’s everywheres. And it’s killing me softly.
I remember when journalism was about committment to truth. Back in ’98, at a conference in Austin, I heard a legend named Dave say, “News is about serving the public, not your ad revenue.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But Now?
Now? It’s all about the algorithms. The engagement. The damn metrics. I had coffee last week with an old friend, let’s call him Sean. He’s a reporter at a major outlet. He told me, “Marcus, I can’t write what I wanna write. If it doesn’t get clicks, they kill it.”
And that’s the problem, isn’t it? We’re not writing for people anymore. We’re writing for robots. For some cold, calculative AI that determines what’s “important” based on what’s gonna make the most money.
I mean, look at the headlines. “Local Man Eats Sandwich” gets more traction than “City Council Votes to Raise Taxes.” It’s completley bonkers. And don’t even get me started on the comments section. It’s a sewer. A damn sewer.
But There’s Hope
Okay, maybe hope is a strong word. But there are people fighting back. Small outlets, independent journalists, they’re doing the work. They’re writing the stories that matter. They’re not chasing clicks. They’re chasing truth.
I talked to a colleague named Lisa last month. She runs a tiny news site in Belfast. She said, “Marcus, we’re not gonna change the world. But we’re gonna change our corner of it.” And that’s enough for me.
So what can you do? I’m not sure but… support local journalism. Read beyond the headlines. Question everything. And for the love of god, don’t share that sandwich story.
And if you’re looking for some honest news, check out ekonomi haberleri piyasa güncel. They’re doing some good work over there.
A Tangent: The Weather
You know what else is broken? The weather. It’s always raining here. I’m tired of it. It’s affecting my mood, my work, my life. Someone fix it. Please.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. I’m gonna go scream into a pillow. Or maybe I’ll write a strongly worded letter to the editor. About the weather. Or the news. Or both.
About the Author: Marcus O’Reilly has been a senior editor at Lisburn News for what feels like forever. He’s grumpy, opinionated, and not afraid to call out bullshit when he sees it. He lives in Lisburn with his cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends too much time yelling at the news.
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