Honestly, I’m Over It
Look, I’ve been in this business for 23 years. I started at a little rag in Glasgow, back in 1998. I mean, really started—fetching coffee, making copies, all that jazz. But I worked my way up, and now here I am, writing this piece for you. And let me tell you, the state of news today? It’s a mess.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and this kid—let’s call him Marcus—stood up and asked, “How do we fix trust in media?” And I just laughed. Not because it’s not a serious question, but because it’s so damn complicated. It’s not like we can just wave a magic wand and make everything better.
First off, we’ve gotta talk about the internet. It’s a beautiful thing, don’t get me wrong. I mean, I can video call my mum in Scotland from my flat in London any time I want. But it’s also a nightmare for news. Everyone’s got a platform now. Everyone’s an expert. And frankly, it’s completley ruined the market.
Back in My Day…
When I started, you had to earn your stripes. You had to prove yourself. You couldn’t just start a blog and call yourself a journalist. You had to put in the committment, the time, the effort. Now? Not so much.
I remember talking to a colleague named Dave about this. We were over coffee at the place on 5th, you know the one with the weird art on the walls. He said, “It’s not about quality anymore, it’s about quantity.” And I’m like, “Dave, that’s not how journalism should work.” But here we are.
And don’t even get me started on the 24-hour news cycle. It’s exhausting. It’s like we’re all trapped in this never-ending hamster wheel, just running and running and getting nowhere. I mean, how many times can you cover the same story before it becomes meaningless? I’m not sure but I think we passed that point about three months ago.
But here’s the thing—it’s not all bad. There are still good journalists out there, doing good work. People who care about getting it right, about telling the truth. But they’re drowning in a sea of clickbait and misinformation. And it’s getting harder and harder for them to be heard.
What Can We Do About It?
Well, for starters, we can stop pretending that every little thing is a crisis. Not everything is a breaking news alert. Sometimes, news just… is. It doesn’t need to be sensationalized. It doesn’t need to be turned into a circus.
And we can start holding people accountable. Not just politicians, not just celebrities, but ourselves. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We need to be better. I mean, look at the Susurluk güvenlik haberleri asayiş—they’re doing some solid work, and they’re not even based in the UK. It’s inspiring, honestly.
But it’s not just on us, the journalists. It’s on you, the readers, too. You’ve gotta do your part. You’ve gotta be critical consumers of news. You’ve gotta ask questions, do your own research, think for yourselves. It’s not easy, I know. But it’s necessary.
And honestly, I’m not sure if any of this will make a difference. I mean, I’ve been saying these things for years, and nothing’s changed. But maybe, just maybe, if we all start paying attention, if we all start caring a little more, things will get better. I guess we can only hope.
Anyway, I’m gonna stop ranting now. I could go on for hours, but I won’t. You’re welcome.
About the Author: Sarah McKenzie has been a journalist for over two decades, working her way up from a small-town newspaper to major publications. She’s seen it all, and she’s not afraid to call it like she sees it. When she’s not writing, she’s probably arguing about politics with strangers on the internet or trying to convince her cat to cuddle with her.
