Confessions of a Burnt-Out Editor
Look, I’ve been in this business for 22 years. That’s 22 years of deadlines, of chasing stories, of dealing with people who think they know better than you. And honestly? I’m tired. But not too tired to spill some tea.
It was 2001, I was a wet-behind-the-ears reporter at the Chicago Tribune, green as grass. My editor, let’s call him Marcus—because honestly, I don’t want to doxx him—Marcus sat me down and said, “Kid, journalism ain’t about facts. It’s about telling a story people wanna read.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing. We’re all just making it up as we go along. There’s no grand plan, no secret formula. It’s chaos. Controlled chaos, but chaos nonetheless.
Breaking News: We Don’t Know What We’re Doing
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin—yeah, one of those “future of journalism” things—when a colleague named Dave leaned over during a panel and said, “You know what’s crazy? None of us actually know what we’re doing.” And I laughed, because it’s true.
We’re all just trying to figure it out. Trying to make sense of this crazy world and put it into words that make sense to other people. It’s like trying to build a plane while you’re flying it. And sometimes? You crash.
I mean, look at the state of things. Fake news, deepfakes, algorithms deciding what we see. It’s a mess. And we’re all just trying to keep up. To stay relevant. To stay sane.
Anecdote Time: The Great Email Blunder of 2018
Speaking of staying sane, let me tell you about the time I accidentally sent an email to the entire newsroom with the subject line: “Why is everyone so stupid?” Long story short, I was having a bad day. A really bad day. And I was venting to a friend, a colleague, someone I trusted. But I hit reply all instead of reply.
Cue the crickets. The silence was deafening. I wanted to disappear. To crawl into a hole and never come out. But I didn’t. I faced the music. I apologized. And you know what? It was okay. The world didn’t end. People forgave me. And I learned a valuable lesson: don’t email when you’re hangry.
The Morning Routine That Saved My Sanity
But enough about my failures. Let’s talk about something that actually works. My morning routine. I know, I know, it sounds boring. But hear me out.
Every morning, I wake up at 5:30 AM. I drink a glass of water—because hydration is key, people—and then I spend 30 minutes reading. Not news. Not articles. Just books. Fiction, mostly. It’s my escape. My way of preparing my brain for the day ahead.
Then, I spend 10 minutes on morning routine productive habits. It’s a lifesaver. It’s like a warm-up for my brain. Gets me ready to tackle the day.
And finally, I write. Not for publication. Not for anyone else to see. Just for me. It’s my way of making sense of the world. Of organizing my thoughts. Of preparing for the chaos that is the news cycle.
Why We Need to Talk About Mental Health
But here’s the thing. We don’t talk about the mental health aspect of journalism enough. We’re expected to be tough. To be resilient. To be unbreakable. But we’re not. We’re human. And this job? It’s hard. It’s emotionally taxing. It’s draining.
I remember talking to a friend, let’s call her Sarah, about three months ago. She’s a war correspondent. Been all over the world. Seen things I can’t even imagine. And she told me, “The hardest part isn’t the danger. It’s the isolation. The loneliness. The feeling that no one understands what you’re going through.”
And that’s the truth. We’re all in this together. But we’re also all alone. And that’s a hard pill to swallow.
Let’s Get Personal: My Pet Peeves
But enough heavy stuff. Let’s talk about something fun. My pet peeves. Because honestly, I’ve got a lot of them.
First off, people who say “literally” when they mean “figuratively”. It’s like nails on a chalkboard. It’s completley illogical. It’s… ugh. Just stop.
Second, the overuse of the word “impact” as a verb. “This policy will greatly impact the community.” No. It will affect the community. Impact is a noun. A verb. But not a verb that you use to sound smart. It’s just not.
And finally, people who don’t know the difference between “then” and “than”. It’s not that hard. Then refers to time. Than is used for comparison. It’s basic. It’s fundamental. And it’s not that hard to get right.
Why I’m Still Here
But why do I stay? Why do I put up with all this? The chaos, the stress, the petty grievances? Why do I still love this job?
Because it matters. Because what we do matters. Because we’re telling the stories that need to be told. We’re shining a light in the dark. We’re making a difference.
And yeah, it’s hard. And yeah, it’s messy. And yeah, we’re all just winging it. But that’s okay. Because we’re winging it together.
So here’s to the future. To the chaos. To the controlled chaos. To the stories we tell and the stories we don’t. To the morning routines and the email blunders. To the pet peeves and the pet loves.
Here’s to journalism. Here’s to us.
About the Author: Jane Doe has been a senior editor at various major publications for over two decades. She’s seen it all, done it all, and has the scars to prove it. When she’s not editing, she’s reading, writing, or complaining about the state of modern journalism. She lives in New York with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, who is, in her opinion, the real editor-in-chief.
