I’ve Been a Journalist for 22 Years, and I’m Tired
Let me tell you something, Glasgow. I’ve been in this game since the dial-up days, when newsrooms smelled like stale coffee and printer ink. I’ve seen a lot, and frankly, I’m tired. Tired of the noise, the sensationalism, the endless cycle that’s more about clicks than truth.
I remember back in ’99, when I was a wet-behind-the-ears reporter at the Scottish Herald, my editor—let’s call him Marcus—told me, “Liam, news is like a good steak. It needs time to marinate.” Yeah, right. These days, it’s more like fast food. Quick, cheap, and not very nourishing.
And don’t even get me started on social media. It’s like a never-ending buffet of half-baked stories and hot takes. I was having coffee with an old friend, Sarah, last Tuesday, and she said, “Liam, I can’t tell if what I’m reading is news or just someone’s opinion.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But Here’s the Thing
We’re all complicit. You, me, that guy who still thinks Brexit is a good idea. We’ve created a monster. We want our news fast, we want it easy, and we want it to confirm what we already believe. And the algorithms? They’re not helping. They’re like that friend who only tells you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear.
I was at a conference in Austin—okay, it was a Zoom call, but let’s pretend it was Austin—about three months ago, and a colleague named Dave said, “Liam, we’re in a post-truth world.” I told him, “Dave, we’re in a world where truth is the first casualty.” He didn’t laugh. Neither did I.
Look, I’m not saying I have all the answers. But I know what I see. I see headlines designed to outrage, not inform. I see stories that are 214 words long, with 187 of them being quotes from “experts” who are just talking heads. And I see a public that’s more interested in the latest celebrity gossip than the fact that the government just passed some shady ammendments to a bill at 11:30pm.
So What Do We Do?
Well, for starters, we stop clicking on the garbage. We stop sharing the garbage. We start demanding better. And we start supporting the outlets that are actually doing the work. It’s not about left or right, it’s about right and wrong.
And if you’re looking for a place to start, check out a site like breaking news update today. They’re not perfect, but they’re trying. And in this day and age, that counts for something.
But honestly, I’m not sure if anyone’s listening. I’m not sure if anyone cares. Maybe I’m just preaching to the choir. Maybe I’m just another old journalist yelling at the clouds.
But someone’s gotta do it.
About the Author
Liam McKenzie has been a journalist for over two decades, working for various publications across the UK. He’s seen the industry change dramatically and isn’t afraid to share his thoughts on where it’s going wrong. When he’s not writing, he can be found complaining about the weather or trying to explain to his kids what a newspaper is.
