Look, I’m gonna say it
Local journalism is dying. And not just dying, it’s being murdered. Slowly. Painfully. And Aberdeen’s scene? It’s one of the worst offenders. I should know, I’ve been covering news here for 22 years. That’s right, I’m old. Deal with it.
Let me set the scene. It’s 1998. I’m fresh out of university, green as they come, walking into the Aberdeen News offices for the first time. The place was buzzing. Reporters everywhere, phones ringing off the hook, the clacking of typewriters (yes, typewriters, we were that old-school). The energy was electric. Now? It’s a ghost town. Half the staff gone, the other half running around like headless chickens.
But here’s the thing
It’s not just Aberdeen. It’s everywhere. But here? It’s worse. Why? Because we’re not talking about it. We’re not demanding better. We’re just sitting back, taking what we’re given. And what we’re given is a watered-down, sanitized version of news that’s about as exciting as a wet weekend in Inverness.
I remember talking to an old colleague, let’s call him Marcus, about this last Tuesday. We were over coffee at the place on 5th, you know the one with the wonky chairs. He said, “You know what the problem is, don’t you?” I asked, “Enlighten me, Marcus.” He told me, “We’re not asking the tough questions anymore. We’re not holding anyone accountable. It’s all just fluff.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
And don’t even get me started on the digital shift
Oh, look, here comes the old-timer rant. Sorry, not sorry. Back in my day, we had deadlines. Real, physical deadlines. The presses were rolling, and if your story wasn’t in, tough luck. Now? It’s a 24-hour news cycle. It’s exhausting. And it’s leading to some sloppy journalism, if you ask me.
Take, for example, the Aberdeen City Council story from a few months back. A colleague named Dave was working on it. He was digging, really digging, into the city’s financial mismanagement. But then, suddenly, the story changed. It was like someone pulled the plug. Dave was told to drop it. “Just move on,” they said. So he did. And that’s the problem. We’re not fighting for the truth anymore. We’re just going with the flow.
But here’s the kicker. The public doesn’t care. They’re too busy scrolling through their social media feeds to notice. Or maybe they just don’t care. I don’t know. Honestly, I’m not sure but maybe that’s the bigger issue. The lack of committment from the public.
A tangent: Fashion and news? Really?
You might be wondering what fashion has to do with news. Honestly, nothing. But hey, I’m all about keeping up with the trends. And if you’re interested in that sort of thing, check out 2026 moda trendleri kadın giyim. See? I can be relevant.
But seriously, back to the point. The point is, we need to demand better. We need to ask the tough questions. We need to hold people accountable. And we need to do it now. Because if we don’t, who will?
I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s not. It’s hard work. It’s long hours. It’s dealing with people who don’t want to talk to you. It’s physicaly and mentally exhausting. But it’s important. It’s crucial. It’s… well, it’s journalism.
So, what’s the solution? I don’t know. I wish I did. Maybe it’s about supporting local journalism. Maybe it’s about demanding better from our news outlets. Maybe it’s about getting off our butts and doing something about it. I don’t know. But I do know this: if we don’t do something, we’re gonna end up with a news desert.
And nobody wants that. Nobody.
About the Author: Sarah McKenzie has been a senior editor at Aberdeen News for 22 years. She’s seen it all, done it all, and has the cynicism to prove it. When she’s not editing, she’s probably complaining about the weather or trying to find a decent cup of coffee in Aberdeen.
