I’ve Been a News Junkie Since I Was 12
Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. I’ve been in this game for a long time. 22 years, to be exact. I started as a cub reporter for the Pine Bluff Gazette in Arkansas. Back then, I thought I was gonna save the world, one local news story at a time. Ha! (Spoiler: I didn’t.)
But I did learn a thing or two. Like how local news is the backbone of democracy. Or how it’s dying a slow, painful death. And how, frankly, we’re all kinda to blame.
That Time I Pissed Off the Mayor
Okay, so picture this. It’s 1999, I’m 24 years old, and I’m sitting in a diner in Pine Bluff with the mayor, let’s call him Marcus. I’m sipping my coffee, trying to look professional, and he’s telling me how great things are in our little town. ‘Unemployment’s down,’ he says. ‘Crime’s down.’ All that good stuff.
So I ask him about the sewer system. You know, the one that’s been backing up into people’s basements for months? The one the city council’s been ignoring? And he gets this look on his face, like I just kicked his dog. ‘That’s not news,’ he tells me. I said, ‘Marcus, it’s news if it’s happening in people’s homes.’
Next day, front-page story. Mayor’s not happy. Neither are some of my colleagues. But the phones? They’re ringing off the hook. People are pissed. And that’s when I realized something important: local news matters. It really matters.
But Here’s the Thing…
Flash forward to today. Local news is in trouble. Big trouble. According to Pew Research, newsroom employment has dropped by 26% since 2008. That’s 2,200 jobs gone. Poof. Just like that.
And it’s not just jobs. It’s commitment. It’s resources. It’s the kinda deep, investigative reporting that takes time and money. You know, the stuff that holds power to account. That stuff is disappearing faster than ice cream on a hot Texas afternoon.
I talked to a colleague named Dave about this last Tuesday. We were at this little coffee shop on 5th, and he’s like, ‘Look, it’s not just about the money. It’s about the culture. It’s about people not giving a damn anymore.’ And I’m sitting there, thinking, ‘Yeah, Dave. You’re probably right.’
But It’s Not All Doom and Gloom
Okay, so here’s the thing. It’s not all bad. There are people out there fighting the good fight. I mean, look at what’s happening in Las Vegas. They’ve got this hyperlocal news site, and they’re killing it. They’re covering stuff nobody else is covering. And they’re doing it with a fraction of the resources.
And get this— they’re using the weather to drive traffic. I know, I know. It sounds crazy. But it works. People wanna know if it’s gonna rain on their parade. So they check the Las Vegas weather forecast today. And while they’re there, they read about the city council meeting or the new school budget. It’s genius, honestly.
A Tangent: Why I Hate Clickbait
But here’s what pisses me off. All this talk about ‘engagement’ and ‘clicks’ and ‘algorithms.’ It’s completley bullshit. News isn’t about clicks. It’s about committment. It’s about telling the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when it pisses off the mayor.
I remember this one time, I wrote a story about a local school district misusing funds. And the superintendent, let’s call him Greg, he’s on the phone with me, yelling, ‘You’re ruining my reputation!’ And I’m like, ‘Greg, if you didn’t wanna ruin your reputation, you shouldn’t have spent $87,000 on aquisition for your house while the schools are falling apart.’
Which, by the way, is exactly what happened. The story ran. The school board amended their ways. And Greg? He’s now the principal at a middle school in Tulsa. Karma’s a bitch, ain’t she?
So What’s the Solution?
I don’t know, honestly. I wish I did. But I think it starts with us. With you and me. With people actually giving a damn about what’s happening in their own backyard. Supporting local journalism, even if it’s just a dollar a month.
And it’s about holding onto that physicaly feeling of a newspaper in your hands. The smell of the ink, the rustle of the pages. There’s something about that, you know? Something real.
So yeah. That’s my take. It’s messy. It’s complicated. But it’s important. And we can’t afford to ignore it.
Anyway, I gotta run. I’ve got a story to write. About the sewer system. Again.
About the Author
Sarah Mitchell has been a journalist for over two decades, working for various publications across the US. She currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her cat, Whiskers, and spends her free time complaining about the weather and reading mystery novels.
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