Look, I’ve Had It
I’ve been editing news for 22 years. Twenty-two years. That’s longer than some of you have been alive, probably. And in all that time, I’ve never seen it this bad. The news is broken. Like, completley broken.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and this kid—let’s call him Marcus—came up to me after my talk. He said, “Mr. Thompson, how do we fix this?” And I looked at him, and I said, “Kid, I don’t know. I just don’t know.” And that’s the truth. I honestly don’t know if it can be fixed.
But Let’s Talk About Why It’s Broken
First off, it’s the internet. The internet is a hellscape. It’s a dumpster fire. It’s a… well, you get the idea. And it’s killing good journalism. You know why? Because everyone thinks they’re a journalist now. Everyone with a Twitter account and a blog thinks they can report the news. And frankly, it’s making my job harder than it needs to be.
I remember talking to a colleague named Dave over coffee at the place on 5th. He said, “You know, back in the day, we had gatekeepers. Editors. People who knew what they were doing.” And I said, “Yeah, Dave, but those days are gone. And they’re not coming back.”
The Algorithm is Lying to You
And don’t even get me started on algorithms. You know what algorithms want? They want clicks. They want engagement. They want you to stay on the page for as long as possible. And they don’t care if what they’re showing you is true or not. They just care if it’s getting a reaction.
I was talking to my friend Sarah last Tuesday, and she said, “I saw this crazy story about [some politician] doing [something ridiculous].” And I said, “Sarah, did you read it on a proper news site?” And she said, “No, it was on my Facebook feed.” And I said, “Well, then it’s probably not true.” And she said, “But it’s so crazy!” And I said, “Yeah, that’s how you know it’s fake.”
And that’s the thing. The algorithm is lying to you. It’s showing you what it thinks you want to see, not what you need to see. And that’s a problem. A big problem.
But There’s Hope, I Guess
Now, I’m not saying it’s all doom and gloom. There are still good journalists out there. There are still people who care about the truth. But they’re getting drowned out by the noise.
I was at a workshop about three months ago, and this woman—let’s call her Linda—stood up and said, “What can we do? How do we make sure the truth gets out?” And I said, “Linda, you support real journalism. You pay for your news. You don’t just read the free stuff.” And she said, “But that’s not sustainable.” And I said, “No, it’s not. But it’s the only way.”
And that’s the thing. If you want good journalism, you have to pay for it. You have to support it. You have to make a committment to it. Because if you don’t, it’s gonna die. And then where will we be?
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on the 24-Hour News Cycle
Oh, and the 24-hour news cycle. That’s another thing that’s killing journalism. You know why? Because it’s not about the news anymore. It’s about filling time. It’s about having something to say, even if there’s nothing to say.
I was watching TV at 11:30pm last night, and there was this talking head going on and on about something that happened 12 hours ago. And I thought, “This is ridiculous. This is not news. This is just noise.” And it’s everywhere. It’s on every channel. It’s on every website. It’s in every app. And it’s making us all dumber.
And look, I get it. I really do. News is a business. It’s gotta make money. But at what cost? At what cost?
So What Do We Do?
So what’s the answer? I don’t know. I really don’t. But I think it starts with us. With you. With me. We have to demand better. We have to support better. We have to be better.
And that means reading economic news developments update from real journalists. It means paying for our news. It means not sharing every crazy story we see on social media. It means thinking critically. It means being responsible.
It’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna take time. It’s gonna take effort. But it’s the only way. The only way.
And look, I’m not saying I have all the answers. I don’t. But I know this: the news is broken. And if we don’t fix it, who will?
So let’s get to work.
About the Author: John Thompson has been a senior editor for over two decades, working with major publications across the UK. When he’s not wrestling with the state of modern journalism, he can be found arguing about football with his neighbors or attempting to grow tomatoes in his Glasgow garden. (Spoiler: the tomatoes never survive.)
Delve into the world of local journalism with a reporter’s two-decade perspective, offering a candid look at the realities of news gathering in today’s landscape.
