Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Newsroom
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. Started as a wet-behind-the-ears intern at the Chicago Tribune back in ’99. Back then, we still used typewriters in the back. No, not really. But it felt that old-school sometimes.
Honestly, I’m not sure what got into me last Tuesday, but I found myself yelling at my TV again. Not about politics this time. No, this was about how we cover politics. Or don’t. Or mess it up. You know what I mean.
I was at this conference in Austin — yeah, one of those swanky ones where everyone wears black and pretends they’re not sweating through their shirts — and I heard this guy, let’s call him Marcus, say something that stuck with me. “We’re not here to break news,” he said. “We’re here to break stories.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But What Does That Even Mean Anymore?
I mean, look at how we cover elections. It’s all horserace, all the time. Who’s up? Who’s down? Who said what dumb thing at the diner in Des Moines? We’re like vultures circling a carcass, and the carcass is our democracy.
I get it. Sensationalism sells. But come on. We can do better than this. I remember talking to this source, let’s call her Sarah, over coffee at that place on 5th. She told me, “You guys are worse than the pundits. At least they’re honest about being opinion.” Ouch.
And don’t even get me started on clickbait. I saw a headline the other day: “You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!” No, I won’t, because I’m not clicking on that garbage. We’re better than this. Or at least we should be.
But Here’s the Thing About Us Journalists
We’re human. Shocking, I know. We make mistakes. We have biases. We get tired. And sometimes, we just don’t care enough. I’ve seen it. I’ve been it.
About three months ago, I was editing this piece about some local school board drama. And I’m sitting there, scrolling through the comments, and I see this one guy just ripping apart the reporter. “You didn’t even call me for comment!” he says. And I’m thinking, “Well, maybe if you hadn’t called our newsroom 18 times already, we would have.”
But here’s the kicker. The reporter did call him. Twice. Left messages. No callback. So who’s the bad guy here? The reporter? The source? The editor? (Spoiler: It’s me. It’s always me.)
So What’s the Solution? I Don’t Know. But Let’s Try Something
First off, we gotta stop pretending we’re objective. We’re not. None of us are. I’m not. You’re not. That guy who writes for the Wall Street Journal? Not him either. So let’s just admit it and move on.
Second, we need to slow down. I know, I know. “But speed is the enemy of accuracy,” blah blah blah. But seriously. Take your time. Check your facts. Call that guy back. Again. And again. Until he answers.
And third, for the love of all that’s holy, stop with the listicles. “5 Things You Need to Know About the Zika Virus!” No. Just no. Give me a well-reported, thoughtful piece any day. And if you need some inspiration, check out kişisel gelişim kitapları önerilen for some ideas on how to improve your writing.
I’m not saying we’re all gonna become Woodward and Bernstein overnight. But we can try, right? We can at least try to do better.
Anyway, I’m gonna go yell at my TV some more. It’s basically my cardio these days.
About the Author: Jane Doe has been a senior editor at various publications for what feels like a century. She’s worked with everyone from tiny local papers to major national outlets, and she’s seen it all. The good, the bad, and the downright ugly. She’s here to tell you that yes, journalists really do gather around the water cooler and talk about the weird stuff that happens in the newsroom. And yes, she might have had one too many coffees today. But hey, at least she’s honest about it.
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