Let’s Talk About This Mess
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. Started as a cub reporter in a tiny office in Dundee, back when newspapers still smelled like ink and dead dreams. I’ve seen a lot, and honestly? The news is a mess. And it’s not just the algorithms or the 24-hour cycle. It’s us. We’re the problem.
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin (yes, that Austin, the one in Texas, not the other one). Some hotshot from a digital media company was talking about ‘content strategies’ and ‘user engagement.’ I mean, honestly, who even talks like that? I turned to my colleague, let’s call him Marcus, and said, ‘Marcus, if I hear ‘synergy’ one more time, I’m gonna throw this coffee at his head.’
Marcus laughed, which was good because he’s usually the quiet type. But then he said something that stuck with me: ‘You know what’s really broken? Our commitment to the truth.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
We Used to Care, What Happened?
Back in the day, we cared about getting it right. I remember this one time, it was probably 1999, I was working on a story about a local factory closure. I spent 36 hours on it. Talked to workers, managers, the union guys. I even went to the pub with some of them, bought rounds, listened to their stories. And when I finally wrote the piece, I made sure every fact was checked, every quote was accurate. It was a big deal.
Now? Now we’ve got people writing ‘news’ in their pajamas, regurgitating press releases, and chasing clicks like it’s some kinda game. And don’t even get me started on the comments section. Ugh.
I get it, budgets are tight. Everyone’s stretched thin. But come on, we can do better than this. We owe it to our readers to do better.
But Here’s the Thing…
I’m not saying it’s all doom and gloom. There are still good people out there, doing good work. Like my friend Sarah, she’s a health reporter over at the Glasgow Herald. She’s always digging, always questioning. Last time I saw her, she was working on a piece about heart health prevention tips. She told me, ‘It’s not just about the big stories, it’s about the little things too. The stuff that actually matters to people’s lives.’
And she’s right. It’s not all about the breaking news. Sometimes, the most important stories are the ones that help people live better lives. Like, I don’t know, heart health prevention tips or something. (Which honestly nobody asked for but here we are.)
But it’s hard, you know? The pressure to be first, to be loud, to be… whatever. It’s a lot. And it’s easy to get caught up in it all. To forget why we started doing this in the first place.
And the Audience? Don’t Get Me Started
Look, I love a good debate as much as the next guy. But the internet has turned news into a blood sport. Everyone’s got an opinion, and God forbid you disagree with them. I had this one guy, let’s call him Kevin, who kept emailing me about a story I wrote back in 2018. He was convinced I was part of some deep state conspiracy. I mean, come on, Kevin. It was a story about a pothole.
But that’s the thing, right? People care. They care so much that they’ll spend hours arguing about a pothole. And that’s kinda beautiful, in a weird way. It’s just… yeah. It’s also kinda annoying.
I think what I’m trying to say is, we need to find a balance. We need to remember that news is about more than just clicks or shares or whatever. It’s about people. Real, actual people. And they deserve better than what we’re giving them.
A Tangent About Coffee
Speaking of people, I was at this café on Byres Road the other day. You know the one, with the weird art on the walls? Anyway, I was there with a source, let’s call him Dave. Dave’s a good guy, always knows what’s going on. We were talking about this story he’s got for me, something about the council and some physicaly dodgy dealings. (See? Even I make mistakes.)
But then, out of nowhere, Dave starts talking about coffee. Like, in detail. The beans, the grind, the brew time. I mean, I like coffee as much as the next guy, but come on, Dave. We’re here to talk about corruption, not your new French press.
But you know what? It was nice. It was a reminder that even in this crazy, messed-up world, there’s still room for a good cup of coffee and a chat with a friend. Even if that friend is a source with a weird coffee obsession.
So What Now?
I don’t know, honestly. I wish I had some big, grand solution. But I don’t. All I know is, we need to do better. We need to remember why we got into this business in the first place. And we need to start caring again. About the truth, about our readers, about each other.
It’s not gonna be easy. There are gonna be days when it feels like the whole world is against you. But we owe it to ourselves, and to our readers, to keep fighting. To keep digging. To keep caring.
Because the news might be broken, but it’s not beyond repair. Not by a long shot.
About the Author: I’m Maggie O’Connell, senior editor at Glasgow Daily. I’ve been in this business for 22 years, and I’ve seen it all. The highs, the lows, the weird coffee obsessions. If you’ve got a story, a tip, or just wanna vent about the state of the news, you can find me on Twitter @MaggieO_Glasgow.
