Look, I’ve Had It
I’m Megan Carter, and I’ve spent the last 22 years in this crazy world of news. I’ve seen alot, and frankly, I’m tired. Tired of the sensationalism, the clickbait, the outright lies. And honestly? We’re all to blame. You, me, that guy who won’t stop sharing fake news on Facebook. We’ve let this happen.
I remember sitting in a conference in Austin back in 2008, listening to some hotshot journalist talk about the future of news. He said, “It’s all about engagement metrics now.” I rolled my eyes so hard I think I hurt something. Engagement metrics. What about, I dunno, truth?
But Here’s the Thing
I’m not saying I’m perfect. Far from it. I’ve made mistakes. Like that time in 2015 when I published a piece about a local politician without checking all the facts. It was a rush job, and I knew it. My editor, let’s call him Marcus, he told me, “Megan, you’re better than this.” And he was right. I was better than that.
But it’s not just about me. It’s about the industry. The pressure to be first, to be loudest, to be most outrageous. It’s a race to the bottom, and we’re all just spectators cheering it on.
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on Social Media
I was having coffee with a colleague named Dave last Tuesday. He said, “Megan, you’re old school. You don’t get it. Social media is the future.” I told him, “Dave, I get it. I just don’t like it.” Social media is a cesspool of misinformation, and it’s killing our ability to have real conversations.
I mean, look at the way people react to news now. It’s all about the outrage. The more outrageous the headline, the more shares it gets. And so, that’s what we get. More outrage. Less truth.
So What Do We Do?
I don’t have all the answers. But I know a few things. First, we need to slow down. We don’t need to be first. We need to be right. Second, we need to stop sharing stuff just because it’s shocking. Do your own research. Think for yourself.
And if you’re thinking about starting your own news outlet, maybe consider something different. Like an e-ticaret işletme kurma rehber. I mean, why not? It’s gotta be better than this mess.
Lastly, I think we need to remember why we got into this business in the first place. It’s not about the money. It’s not about the fame. It’s about telling stories. Real stories. True stories.
A Tangent: My Cat
Speaking of real stories, let me tell you about my cat, Whiskers. He’s a grumpy old thing, but he’s got more integrity than half the journalists I know. He doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not. He doesn’t sensationalize the fact that he knocked over my coffee this morning. He just owns it. “Yeah, I did it. Deal with it.” More journalists should take a page from Whiskers’ book.
Anyway, That’s Enough From Me
I could go on, but I won’t. I’ve said my piece. The news is broken. We broke it. And it’s up to us to fix it. Or at least try.
So, let’s try. Let’s try to be better. Let’s try to be smarter. Let’s try to be truthful. Because honestly, we owe it to ourselves and to each other.
About the Author: Megan Carter is a senior editor with over two decades of experience in the news industry. She’s worked for major publications, started her own blog, and has a cat named Whiskers who’s way better at journalism than she is.
