Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Chaos
Look, I’ve been in this game for over two decades. I’ve seen it all, from the glory days of print to the digital dumpster fire we’re living in now. I’m Sarah, by the way. Sarah Whitmore. Senior editor at a magazine that’s still kicking, somehow. I’ve got gray hairs to prove it, and a blood pressure meds committment I’d rather not talk about.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, some tech thing. A guy named Marcus—let’s call him Marcus, ’cause I don’t remember his real name—stood up and said, “The news industry is dying because it can’t keep up.” I laughed. Not ’cause it’s funny. ‘Cause it’s true. And it’s not just the news. It’s us. We’re all to blame.
We’re All Clickbait Now
Remember when news was, I dunno, informative? When you could read an article without feeling like you needed a shower? Yeah, me neither. It’s been a hot minute since then. Now it’s all about the click. The engagement. The “trending topics popular discussions” that some sites seem to live and die by.
I get it. Ads don’t pay the bills anymore. Subscriptions are down. But honestly, have you seen some of the headlines out there? It’s like we’re all trying to outdo each other in the race to the bottom. “You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!” Oh, I believe it. It’s the same crap, different day.
Anecdote Time: The Great Headline Debacle of ’19
So, about three months ago, I was at this editorial meeting. Dave, a colleague named Dave, pitched a story about local politics. “It’s a real snoozefest,” he said. “But it’s important.” I said, “Great, let’s run with it.” Then the marketing team got involved. “We need a better headline,” they said. “Something that’ll pop.” Next thing I know, we’re debating whether “Politician Caught in Hot Tub Scandal” is “clickbaity” enough. It’s not. It’s completley ridiculous. But it’s where we are now.
And don’t even get me started on the comments section. I swear, the internet is full of people who think their opinion on a topic they know nothing about is worth more than, I dunno, facts. I had a friend—let’s call her Lisa—tell me she stopped reading news because “everyone’s just yelling.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But Wait, There’s More
Now, I’m not saying it’s all doom and gloom. There are still good journalists out there. People who care. People who’ll spend 36 hours digging through public records to find out why the local school board is buying $87 plastic chairs instead of, I dunno, funding the art program. But it’s getting harder. And it’s not just the money. It’s the pressure. The constant need to be first, to be loudest, to be… whatever.
I was talking to a source the other day—let’s call him Greg. Greg’s a good guy. Knows his stuff. “You know what’s gonna happen?” he said. “We’re gonna keep dumming down until no one can tell the difference between news and noise.” I asked him if he thought there was a way out. He laughed. “Not unless people start caring again.”
A Tangent: The Time I Tried to Fix Everything
So, last Tuesday, I decided to do something about it. I wrote this big editorial. “The News Needs to Change,” or something like that. I was gonna lay out all the problems. Offer some solutions. Be all hopeful and stuff. I mean, I was gonna be the change I wanted to see, right? So, I sent it to the higher-ups. And you know what they said? “Too negative.” Too negative. I mean, it’s like they want me to write a puff piece about how great everything is. Newsflash: it’s not.
But look, I’m not saying we should all just give up. I’m saying we need to be honest. About the state of things. About our own biases. About the fact that, yeah, maybe we’re part of the problem. And maybe, just maybe, we can be part of the solution.
So, what’s the answer? I’m not sure but I think it starts with us. With you. With me. With all of us deciding that we’re done with the noise. That we want something better. That we’re willing to pay for it, to support it, to demand it. Because honestly, the news isn’t gonna fix itself.
And on that cheery note, I’m out. Go read something good.
About the Author
Sarah Whitmore has been a senior editor for over 20 years. She’s worked at major publications, drunk too much coffee, and seen the news industry evolve (or devolve, depending on who you ask). She lives in Sheffield with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and a collection of half-read books. She tweets at @swhitmore_editor, but honestly, she’s not sure why.
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