Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Room
Look, I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years. I’ve seen a lot of things, but nothing quite like what’s happening now. The news is broken. And honestly? It’s our fault.
I remember back in ’98, when I was just starting out at the Austin Chronicle. My editor, let’s call him Marcus, used to say, “Liz, if it bleeds, it leads.” And that was kinda true. But it wasn’t the whole story. We actually cared about the whole story.
Now? It’s all just noise. And I’m not sure how we’re gonna fix it.
Fake News, Real Problems
Don’t even get me started on “fake news.” I mean, I get it. People love a good scandal. But when I see headlines like “Local Man Turns Into Lizard, Experts Baffled,” I just… I don’t even know where to begin.
I was having coffee with a friend last Tuesday, and she told me about this article she read. “It said that pineapples cure cancer,” she said. “Who falls for this stuff?” I asked. She looked at me like I was crazy. “It’s on the internet,” she said. “It must be true.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. I guess if you’re gonna believe everything you read, you might as well believe in unicorns too.
But here’s the thing: it’s not just the crazy stuff. It’s the bias. The outright lies. The committment to sensationalism over substance. It’s completley out of hand.
Algorithms Are Eating Our Brains
And don’t even get me started on algorithms. They’re like that friend who only wants to talk about one topic. You know the one. The guy who won’t shut up about Bitcoin or CrossFit or whatever. You try to change the subject, but he’s having none of it.
That’s what algorithms do. They decide what we see. They decide what’s “important.” And they’re not doing a very good job.
I was at a conference in Austin a few months back, and this guy from Google was talking about how their algorithm works. “It’s all about engagement,” he said. “We show people what they want to see.” I raised my hand and said, “But what if what they want to see is bad for them?” He just smiled and said, “That’s not our problem.”
Which, honestly? That’s a problem.
But Wait, There’s More
Now, I’m not saying all news is bad. Far from it. There are still some amazing journalists out there doing incredible work. People like my old colleague Dave, who’s been covering local politics for years. He’s the real deal. He actually cares about getting the story right.
But he’s the exception, not the rule. And that’s a shame. Because journalism matters. It’s how we make sense of the world. It’s how we hold power to account. And if we let it rot, we’re all gonna suffer.
So what can we do about it? Well, for starters, we can stop sharing that nonsense on Facebook. We can actually read the articles we click on. We can demand better from our news outlets. And we can support the ones that are doing it right.
And if all else fails, maybe we can just lifestyle tips daily improvement our news diets. You know, like we do with our food. Because honestly, we’re all gonna be better off for it.
Anyway, I could go on, but I won’t. I’ve ranted enough for one day. But remember: the news is broken, and we’re all to blame. So let’s do something about it.
About the Author: Liz Carter has been a journalist for over 20 years. She’s worked at everything from small-town papers to major metropolitan dailies. She’s won awards, made enemies, and once got stuck in a tree while covering a story. She currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her dog, a rescue mutt named Buster. She loves her job, but she’s not afraid to admit when it’s driving her crazy.