Look, I’m gonna say it: Journalism is a mess

I’ve been editing for 23 years, and let me tell you, I’ve seen some stuff. The industry’s changed more than I’d like to admit. Back in ’99, when I started at the Chicago Tribune, we had standards. Now? It’s a free-for-all. And honestly? It’s our fault.

I remember sitting in a bar with Dave—let’s call him Dave, ’cause his name was actually Steve—and he said, “Martha, we’re drowning in news.” And I said, “Dave, we’re drowning in garbage.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.

We’ve got 24-hour news cycles, social media algorithms pushing outrage, and everyone’s gotta have an opinion. It’s completley out of hand. I mean, I was at a conference in Austin last year, and this guy—let’s call him Marcus—stood up and said, “The news is just a series of distractions now.” And I thought, “Well, Marcus, you’re not wrong.”

But here’s the thing: It’s not all bad

See, I’m not one of those “back in my day” curmudgeons. I get it, the world’s different. But we gotta adapt, not just throw our hands up and say “Oh well.” I was talking to my niece, Lisa, last Tuesday, and she’s all, “Aunt Martha, you don’t get it. News is on TikTok now.” And I said, “Lisa, I’m not that old. But also, maybe don’t get your news from a platform that’s basically just dancing cats?”

And look, I’m not saying we should go back to the days of waiting for the evening news. But we gotta find a balance. Somewhere between “Breaking News: Cat Stares at Duck” and “Nixon Resigns” is the sweet spot. We just gotta find it.

I think—no, I know—that part of the problem is our committment to clickbait. I mean, I get it, we gotta pay the bills. But when I see headlines like “You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!” I wanna scream. It’s just… yeah. It’s dumb.

And don’t even get me started on the aquisition of news outlets by tech billionaires. I mean, come on. It’s like letting the fox guard the henhouse. Or however that saying goes.

So what’s the solution?

I wish I had a magic answer. I really do. But I don’t. I mean, I’ve got ideas. Lots of ’em. But no silver bullets. I was talking to a colleague named Dave—no relation to the other Dave—over coffee at the place on 5th, and he said, “Martha, maybe we just need to slow down.” And I said, “Dave, that’s the most sensible thing I’ve heard all week.”

Maybe we do need to slow down. Maybe we need to take a breath. Maybe we need to stop trying to be first and start trying to be right. I mean, I know that’s not gonna happen overnight. But it’s a start.

And look, I’m not saying we should ignore the current affairs analysis update. But maybe we should think a little harder about what we’re sharing. Maybe we should think about the impact. Maybe we should think about the people behind the stories.

I’m not sure how we get there from here. But I know we gotta try. For all our sakes.

Anyway, I gotta run. My cat’s staring at a duck, and I need to see how this plays out.

About the Author: Martha Jenkins has been a senior editor for over two decades, working at major publications like the Chicago Tribune and New York Times. She’s seen the industry evolve (or devolve, depending on who you ask) and isn’t afraid to share her blunt opinions. When she’s not editing, you can find her arguing with her niece Lisa about TikTok or watching cats stare at ducks.

To gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and successes facing local journalism, we suggest exploring this detailed analysis of Vermont’s dynamic media landscape in the state’s evolving news scene.