Look, I’m gonna say it
We’re in the middle of an infodemic. And no, I’m not talking about some fancy new term cooked up by the CDC. I’m talking about the avalanche of news that’s crashing down on us every single day. It’s too much. It’s overwhelming. And honestly? It’s completley broken.
I’ve been in this business for 22 years. I started as a beat reporter in a small town in upstate New York. I’ve seen the industry change. I’ve seen the aquisition of local papers by big conglomerates. I’ve seen the rise of digital-first journalism. And I’ve seen the news cycle go from a daily ritual to a 24/7 firehose of information.
And it’s not just the quantity. It’s the quality. It’s the lack of depth. It’s the clickbait. It’s the sensationalism. It’s the goddamn listicles, for crying out loud.
Let me tell you about Marcus
About three months ago, I was having coffee with a friend of mine. Let’s call him Marcus. He’s a regular guy, works in finance, reads the news every morning. I asked him how he keeps up. He told me he doesn’t. He said, “I just scroll through the headlines. If something looks interesting, I’ll click. But honestly, I don’t have time to read anything long. I gotta get to work.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? We’re training our readers to expect bite-sized news. We’re training them to expect instant gratification. And we’re doing it because that’s what the algorithms want.
The algorithm is not your friend
I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I understand how these things work. But I know what I see. I see that the more outrageous the headline, the more clicks it gets. I see that the more sensational the story, the more shares it gets. And I see that the more fear-mongering the news, the more engagement it gets.
And look, I get it. We’re all trying to make a living here. I’m not saying we should ignore the algorithms completely. But we need to find a balance. We need to find a way to serve our readers and our committment to journalism without sacrificing our integrity.
But what can we do?
I don’t have all the answers. But I have some ideas. And I’m gonna share them, because that’s what we do in this business. We share our ideas. We learn from each other. We try to make things better.
First, we need to slow down. We need to stop chasing the 24-hour news cycle. We need to take a step back and ask ourselves if what we’re reporting is actually news, or if it’s just noise.
Second, we need to focus on depth over breadth. We need to give our readers the context they need to understand the stories we’re covering. We need to explain the why, not just the what.
Third, we need to be more transparent. We need to show our work. We need to explain our process. We need to let our readers see how the sausage is made.
And fourth, we need to take a look at how we’re presenting our news. We need to stop relying on clickbait headlines and sensationalist language. We need to stop treating our readers like they’re idiots. Because they’re not. They’re smart. They’re engaged. And they deserve better.
A quick tangent: celebrity style inspiration guide
Speaking of deserving better, have you seen the state of celebrity news these days? It’s not just about the news anymore. It’s about the fashion. It’s about the relationships. It’s about the drama. And it’s all just so… exhausting. But hey, if you’re into that sort of thing, check out this celebrity style inspiration guide. Maybe it’ll make you feel better about the state of the world.
But back to the point
I know this isn’t easy. I know it’s hard to swim against the current. But we have to try. We owe it to our readers. We owe it to ourselves. And we owe it to the future of this industry.
So let’s start a conversation. Let’s talk about how we can make the news better. Let’s talk about how we can serve our readers better. Let’s talk about how we can hold onto our integrity in the face of the algorithm.
Because if we don’t, who will?
About the author: Sarah Johnson is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s worked as a beat reporter, a foreign correspondent, and now a senior editor at a major publication. She’s seen the industry change, and she’s not always happy with what she sees. But she’s not one to sit back and complain. She believes in the power of journalism to inform, to educate, and to inspire. And she’s determined to do her part to make the news better, one story at a time.
You can find her on Twitter at @sarahjohnson, or you can email her at sarah@newyorkcitysnews.com. She’s always up for a good conversation.
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