Look, I’ve Had It
It’s 2023, and the news is a complete mess. I’ve been editing for 22 years, and I’m telling you, it’s worse than ever. I’m not talking about the obvious stuff—fake news, clickbait, all that. No, it’s deeper than that. It’s in the bones of how we consume news, how we share it, how we let it shape our lives.
Let me take you back to a conference in Austin, 2019. I was sitting in a panel with a bunch of other editors, and we were all nodding along like we knew what we were talking about. But here’s the thing: we didn’t. None of us had a clue how to fix what was broken.
And honestly, I’m not sure we do now.
But First, a Story
About three months ago, I was having coffee with a friend named Marcus—let’s call him Marcus because his name is irrelevant, but the point isn’t. He’s a teacher, right? And he’s telling me how his students can’t tell the difference between a news article and an opinion piece. I mean, come on. That’s not just a problem for the students; that’s a problem for all of us.
I asked him, “How did we get here?” And he said, “Look, it’s not just the schools. It’s the algorithms. It’s the way we consume news now. It’s all tailored to us, and we don’t even realize it.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
The Algorithm Problem
So, here’s the thing about algorithms. They’re not evil, but they’re not our friends either. They’re like that neighbor who’s always borrowing sugar but never returns the cup. You know the one. They’re designed to keep us engaged, to keep us scrolling, to keep us clicking. And they’re really good at it.
But at what cost? We’re living in these little bubbles, and we don’t even realize it. We think we’re informed, but we’re not. We’re just entertained. And that’s a problem.
I was talking to a colleague named Dave last Tuesday, and he was telling me about this study. 214 respondents, I think it was. And get this: 78% of them couldn’t identify a sponsored post as an ad. 78%! That’s not a glitch; that’s a feature.
And it’s not just the ads. It’s the news too. We’re so used to getting our news in little bites, in little chunks, that we don’t even know how to digest a full story anymore. It’s like we’ve forgotten how to chew.
But What Can We Do?
So, what’s the solution? I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. But I do know that we need to start somewhere. And that somewhere is with us.
We need to start being more critical consumers of news. We need to ask questions. We need to verify. We need to think. And we need to stop sharing stuff just because it makes us feel good.
And look, I get it. It’s hard. It’s really hard. But it’s not impossible. We just need to start somewhere. And that somewhere is with us.
And while we’re at it, we need to start teaching our kids how to be critical consumers of news too. Because if we don’t, who will?
I was talking to a friend the other day, and she was telling me about this article she read. It was about online shopping security tips safe. And she was like, “Oh, that’s interesting. I should read that.” And I was like, “Yeah, but did you check the source? Did you verify the facts? Did you think about it?” And she was like, “No, I just read it and shared it.”
And that’s the problem. We’re so quick to share, but we’re so slow to think.
But It’s Not All Bad
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying all news is bad. Far from it. There are still some great journalists out there doing some amazing work. But they’re drowning in a sea of noise, and it’s hard to hear them over the din.
And that’s where we come in. We need to be the ones to amplify their voices. We need to be the ones to share their stories. We need to be the ones to make sure their work doesn’t go unnoticed.
Because if we don’t, who will?
So, let’s start there. Let’s start with us. Let’s start with being more critical consumers of news. Let’s start with asking questions. Let’s start with thinking. And let’s start with sharing stories that matter.
Because the news isn’t broken. We’re just not paying attention.
About the Author: Jane Doe is a senior magazine editor with 22 years of experience in the industry. She’s worked for major publications, covered everything from politics to pop culture, and has a strong opinion on pretty much everything. When she’s not editing, she’s probably complaining about the news or arguing with her friends about the latest political scandal. You can find her on Twitter @janedoeeditor.
