I’m Tired of Fake Breaking News

Look, I’ve been editing news for 22 years. I’ve seen alot of crap, but honestly, the state of news today? It’s completley out of hand.

I was at a conference in Austin last March, right? Some hotshot reporter from a big name outlet starts bragging about how they ‘broke’ some story. I asked him what it was about. He said, ‘Oh, you know, just some celebrity gossip.’ I said, ‘That’s not news, that’s noise.’ He just shrugged. Which… yeah. Fair enough, I guess.

But that’s the problem, isn’t it? We’ve all let this happen. The lines between news and noise are so blurred now, I’m not sure anyone even remembers the difference.

Let’s Talk About ‘Breaking News’

You know what really grinds my gears? The overuse of ‘breaking news.’ I mean, come on. Every little thing is ‘breaking’ now. Your aunt Mildred sneezed? Breaking news. Some politician said something dumb? Breaking news. It’s all just noise, and it’s drowning out the actual important stuff.

I had lunch with a colleague named Dave last Tuesday. He’s a good guy, been in the biz for 15 years. He told me about this time he was working at a major network, and they had a ‘breaking news’ banner up for like 36 hours straight. I said, ‘What was it about?’ He said, ‘A minor traffic incident.’ I said, ‘You’re kidding me.’ He said, ‘I wish I was.’

And that’s when it hit me. We’re all complicit in this mess. The outlets, the reporters, the readers. We’ve created a monster, and now it’s just feeding on itself.

Social Media: The Great Amplifier

Don’t even get me started on social media. It’s like we’ve given a megaphone to every idiot with an opinion. And the algorithms? They’re designed to keep us hooked, to keep us scrolling, to keep us engaged. They don’t care about the truth, they care about the click.

I was talking to a friend of mine, let’s call him Marcus, about this. He’s a data scientist, works for one of those big tech companies. I said, ‘Marcus, what’s the deal with these algorithms?’ He said, ‘Look, I can’t talk specifics, but basically, they’re designed to keep you engaged. The truth doesn’t matter, the content doesn’t matter. It’s all about the engagement.’

And that’s the scary part, right? We’ve given control of our information ecosystem to entities that don’t care about the truth. They care about the bottom line. They care about the ad revenue. They care about the user data.

What Can We Do About It?

So, what’s the solution? Honestly, I’m not sure. But I think it starts with us. We need to demand better. We need to stop clicking on the noise. We need to stop sharing the garbage. We need to hold outlets and reporters accountable.

And look, I’m not saying it’s easy. I’ve been there. You’re under pressure to deliver, to get the clicks, to keep the bosses happy. But we have a responsibility, don’t we? To the truth, to our readers, to ourselves.

I mean, think about it. When was the last time you saw a real, in-depth investigation on a major news outlet? Not some quick hit piece, but a real, thorough, well-researched piece of journalism. It’s like they’ve become a rarity, right?

We need to bring them back. We need to bring back the days when news was about informing, not entertaining. When it was about the truth, not the click.

And look, I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. But it’s gotta start somewhere. It’s gotta start with us.

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Anyway, I’m gonna wrap this up. I could talk about this stuff for hours, but I won’t bore you. Just remember, we’re all in this together. We’re all responsible. And we all have the power to make a change.

About the Author: Jane Doe has been a senior editor for over two decades, working with major publications across the globe. She’s seen the news industry evolve (and devolve) and isn’t afraid to call out the nonsense when she sees it. When she’s not editing, you can find her hiking, reading, or yelling at her TV about the state of the world.

To gain a clearer perspective on the complexities of how audiences engage with the news today, consider exploring this detailed analysis of contemporary news habits and trends.