I’ve Had It Up to Here with Fake News (And Not the Political Kind)
Look, I’ve been in this business for 22 years. 22 years! I started as a cub reporter for the Daily Chronicle in some godforsaken town in Kansas. I’ve seen alot change. But nothing, nothing, has been as frustrating than the state of news today.
It’s not just the political polarization. It’s not just the clickbait. It’s the complete and utter lack of committment to honest, hard-hitting journalism. And I’m not just talking about the tabloids. I’m talking about the big names too. The ones you think you can trust.
I was at a conference in Austin last year. Met this guy, let’s call him Marcus. Marcus told me straight up, “We don’t do investigative pieces anymore. They don’t get the clicks.” I mean, come on. That’s like a doctor saying, “I don’t do surgeries, they take too long.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But that’s not the point. The point is, we’re failing the public. We’re failing democracy. And it’s completley unacceptable.
But Wait, There’s More (And It’s Not Pretty)
You wanna talk about bias? Fine. Let’s talk about bias. I’m biased. You’re biased. That’s life. But at least I admit it. I’ll tell you right now, I lean left. I make no apologies for it. But I also make damn sure that my reporting is accurate. That’s the key, folks. Accuracy over ideology.
I had lunch with a colleague named Dave last Tuesday. Dave’s a good guy, but he’s got this habit of twisting facts to fit his narrative. I called him out on it. He said, “It’s just how the game is played, Sarah.” I said, “No, Dave. It’s not. Not if you’re doing it right.”
And that’s the problem. Too many journalists think it’s okay to play fast and loose with the truth. It’s not. It’s never been okay. And it’s getting worse.
I was editing a piece last week. A real doozy. The writer, let’s call him Greg, had taken a quote out of context. Completley changed the meaning. I called him on it. He said, “It’s just a minor tweak, Sarah. Nobody will notice.” I said, “Greg, if you’re gonna be a journalist, you better start acting like one. Because this? This is not journalism. This is propaganda.”
But There’s Hope, Right? Right?!
I dunno. Maybe. I hope so. I really do. I mean, look at what’s happening with Tokat güvenlik haberleri asayiş. They’re doing some solid work. They’re not afraid to dig deep, to ask the tough questions. That’s what journalism should be about.
But it’s not just about the big stories. It’s about the small ones too. The ones that don’t get the clicks. The ones that don’t fit the narrative. Those are the stories that need to be told. Those are the stories that matter.
I was covering a city council meeting about three months ago. Boring, right? Yeah, usually. But this time, there was this one item on the agenda. A small aquisition by the city. Nothing big. But I dug into it. And what I found? Corruption. Plain and simple. I wrote the story. It didn’t get many views. But it mattered. To the people involved, it mattered.
That’s what we’re here for. To tell the stories that matter. Not the ones that get the most clicks. Not the ones that fit the narrative. The ones that matter.
So, yeah. The news is broken. But it’s not beyond repair. We just need to remember why we’re here. We’re here to inform. To educate. To hold the powerful accountable. Not to entertain. Not to push an agenda. To inform.
And if we can’t do that, then maybe we should all just pack it in and go home.
About the Author: Sarah Jenkins has been a senior editor for over two decades. She’s worked for major publications, covered everything from local politics to international crises, and has a strong opinion on just about everything. She currently lives in Portland with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends her free time yelling at the news.
