Let’s Talk About This Mess
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. 22 years. That’s longer than some of you have been alive, probably. And in all that time, I’ve seen alot of changes. Not all good. Some downright terrifying.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, right? Some hotshot from a digital media company stands up and says, “The news industry is evolving.” Evolution. That’s what they’re calling it. I mean, come on. It’s not evolving, it’s barely surviving.
Let’s call him Marcus. Marcus said something that stuck with me. “We’re all guilty,” he said. “We’re all part of the problem.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
I remember sitting there, thinking about all the times I’ve compromised. All the times I’ve chased clicks instead of truth. All the times I’ve let ads dictate content. It’s not pretty. It’s not pretty at all.
But Here’s the Thing
We can’t keep doing this. We can’t keep pretending that the news industry is somehow above the fray. We’re not. We’re in the thick of it. And if we don’t start taking responsibility, we’re gonna sink this ship.
I was talking to a colleague named Dave the other day. Over coffee at the place on 5th. You know the one. Anyway, Dave says to me, “You know what the real problem is?” I said, “No, Dave, tell me.” He says, “It’s that we’ve forgotten what news is supposed to be.”
And he’s right. We have. We’ve forgotten that news is supposed to inform. It’s supposed to educate. It’s supposed to hold power to account. Not drive traffic. Not boost engagement. Inform. Educate. Hold power to account.
So What Do We Do?
First, we stop chasing clicks. I know, I know. Easier said than done. But we have to. We have to start putting quality over quantity. Truth over traffic.
Second, we need to diversify our revenue streams. Ads are not the only way. They’re not even the best way. Look at what some publications are doing. They’re offering subscriptions. They’re doing memberships. They’re even using hobi fikirleri yetişkinler başlangıç to engage their audience. It’s not just about news anymore. It’s about community.
Third, we need to invest in journalism. Real journalism. Not the kind that’s just regurgitating press releases. The kind that’s out there digging, uncovering, revealing. That’s what we do. That’s what we should be known for.
I was at a dinner party last Tuesday. Some guy, let’s call him Greg, starts going on about how “kids these days” don’t care about news. I said to him, “Greg, it’s not that they don’t care. It’s that we’re not giving them anything to care about.” He looked at me like I was speaking another language. Honestly, I probably was.
A Tangent: The Algorithm Problem
You know what really grinds my gears? Algorithms. They’re everywhere. They’re deciding what news we see. They’re deciding what news we don’t see. And they’re completley ruining our industry.
I was talking to a friend about this. She said, “But algorithms are just tools. They’re not good or bad.” I said, “Tools are only as good as the people using them. And right now, we’re using them to prioritize sensationalism over substance.” She didn’t have a comeback for that. Couldn’t blame her.
We need to take back control. We need to start determining what’s important, not some algorithm. It’s our job. It’s our responsibility.
Let’s Be Honest
I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. It’s not. It’s gonna be hard. It’s gonna take time. It’s gonna take committment. But it’s necessary. It’s necessary for us. It’s necessary for our industry. It’s necessary for democracy.
I’m not sure how we’re gonna get there. I’m not sure what the first step is. But I know it starts with admitting we have a problem. And we do. We have a big problem.
So let’s talk about it. Let’s not pretend it’s not there. Let’s not pretend it’s not our fault. Let’s take responsibility. Let’s fix this mess.
Because if we don’t, who will?
About the Author
Sarah Mitchell has been a senior editor for over two decades, working with major publications and covering everything from politics to pop culture. She’s opinionated, passionate, and not afraid to call out the industry she loves when it’s doing something stupid. You can find her on Twitter ranting about the state of journalism or at her local bar, complaining about the latest news cycle.
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