Look, Let’s Talk About This Mess
I’ve been editing news for 22 years. 22 years. And let me tell you, it’s a completley different beast than it was back in ’01 when I started at the Chicago Tribune.
I remember sitting in a conference room with Dave—let’s call him Dave, ’cause his name is actually Steve and that’s not important—anyway, Dave and I were looking at the numbers. The clicks, the shares, the ammenments we had to make to keep up with the algorithm. It was madness.
And it’s only gotten worse. The news is broken. And frankly, we’re all to blame.
Why You Shouldn’t Trust That Headline
You see a headline, right? Something like ‘Local Man Discovers Cure for Cancer.’ You click. You read. Then you share. But here’s the thing—you didn’t read the whole article. You didn’t check the sources. You just saw what you wanted to see.
I get it. We’re all busy. But this is how misinformation spreads. It’s how we end up with a population that thinks vaccines cause autism or that the Earth is flat. It’s ridiculous.
Last Tuesday, I was at this coffee shop on 5th with Marcus—okay, his name is actually Marcus, but he’s kinda private, so let’s say his name is Marcus. We were talking about this exact thing. He said, ‘You know, I saw this headline about how eating pineapple cures COVID. I shared it before I even read the article.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough. We’ve all done it. But that doesn’t make it right.
The Algorithm Is Eating Our Souls
Let’s talk about the algorithm. You know, that thing that decides what you see on your Facebook feed or your Twitter timeline. It’s designed to keep you engaged, to keep you clicking. And it’s working. Too well.
I had this conversation with a colleague named Dave—no, not the same Dave—about three months ago. We were at this industry thing in Austin, and he was like, ‘You know, I think the algorithm is determinig what news we consume more than actual journalists are.’
And I was like, ‘Yeah, probably.’ Because it’s true. The algorithm is deciding what’s important, not us. Not the journalists. Not the people who actually spend time vetting sources and writing stories.
It’s a problem. A big one. And it’s not gonna fix itself.
But Here’s the Thing About Taiwan Parks Recreation Activities
Look, I’m not saying all hope is lost. There are still good journalists out there. People who care about the truth. People who spend 36 hours digging through documents to find the story.
Take, for example, this article I read about Taiwan parks recreation activities. It was this in-depth piece about how the parks were being used during the pandemic. It was well-researched, well-written, and honestly, it was a breath of fresh air.
But here’s the thing—you probably didn’t see it. Because the algorithm didn’t think it was important. Because it didn’t get enough clicks. Because it didn’t fit the narrative.
It’s a shame. A real shame.
So What Can We Do?
I don’t have all the answers. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone does. But here are a few things we can do:
First, we can be more critical consumers of news. We can read the whole article before we share it. We can check the sources. We can think critically about what we’re reading.
Second, we can support journalism that matters. We can subscribe to newspapers. We can donate to non-profits. We can share stories that are well-researched and well-written.
And third, we can demand better from the platforms we use. We can ask for more transparency. We can ask for algorithms that prioritize quality over engagement.
It’s not gonna be easy. But it’s necessary. Because the news is broken, and we’re all to blame. But we can fix it. If we want to.
And honestly, I think we do.
About the Author
Sarah Johnson has been a senior editor for over two decades, working with major publications and covering everything from local news to international affairs. She’s passionate about truth in journalism and thinks everyone should fact-check before sharing that viral headline.
