We’re All Just Making It Up as We Go
Look, I’ve been in this game for 23 years. Started at a tiny paper in Glasgow, back when we still used typewriters (no, I’m not that old, it was just a bad paper). Now I’m here, writing for the Edinburgh Daily, and let me tell you, the news industry is in a worse state than my ex-husband’s emotional availability.
It’s 11:30pm, and I’m sitting here, staring at my screen, wondering how we got here. How did we end up in a world where the news is just… noise? Where every story is a headline, but none of it means anything?
I mean, take last Tuesday, for example. I was at a conference in Austin (yes, I know, Edinburgh to Austin is a committment, but someone’s gotta do it). There was this guy, let’s call him Marcus, spouting off about how ‘algorithms are the future of journalism’. I asked him if he’d ever written a story that didn’t involve clicking a button. He said, ‘That’s not the point, Linda.’ Which… yeah. Fair enough, Marcus. But honestly, it’s completley lost on me.
And don’t even get me started on the ‘citizen journalists’. I was at a café on 5th, over coffee with a friend named Dave, and he tells me his neighbor posted a video of a car accident. ‘That’s journalism now,’ he says. I told him, ‘Dave, that’s not journalism. That’s just being a nosy parker with a smartphone.’
We’re All Just Reacting
Here’s the thing: news used to be about informing the public. Now it’s about getting clicks. And I’m not saying I’m innocent here. I’ve written my fair share of clickbait. Remember that time I wrote about the ‘214 Signs You’re Addicted to Love’? Yeah, I’m not proud of it. But it paid the bills.
But it’s more than that. It’s the immediacy. The need to be first, not right. I had an editor once, Brenda, God rest her soul, who used to say, ‘Linda, if you’re not sure, don’t write it.’ Wise words. But these days, everyone’s in such a rush to be first, they forget to be accurate.
Take the whole ‘fake news’ debacle. I mean, it’s not like we didn’t have bad journalism before. But now, it’s like the whole industry is a house of cards, and someone just sneezed. And look, I’m not saying I have all the answers. I’m just saying, maybe we should all take a deep breath and remember what we’re here for.
A Quick Aside: Product Reviews
Speaking of things that make me want to tear my hair out, let’s talk about product reviews. I was talking to a colleague the other day, and she was complaining about how hard it is to find honest product reviews these days. I told her about this great guide I found, ürün incelemeleri öneri rehberi. It’s basically a guide to writing good product reviews. You know, actual useful information, not just ‘this blender makes smoothies’.
But that’s another story. Let’s get back to the mess that is modern journalism.
The Human Cost
And it’s not just the news itself. It’s the people. The industry is a ghost town than it was 10 years ago. Layoffs, buyouts, closures. It’s like we’re all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I had a friend, let’s call her Sarah, who worked for a major paper. She got laid off about three months ago. Just like that. No warning, no nothing. And she’s not alone. It’s happening everywhere. And the ones who are left? We’re all just running around like headless chickens, trying to keep up with the demands of the digital age.
And don’t even get me started on the pay. I mean, I love what I do, but I’m not gonna lie, the pay is crap. I make more from my side hustle selling knick-knacks on Etsy than I do from my day job. And I’m not the only one. It’s like we’re all just expected to work for exposure or something. News flash: exposure doesn’t pay the bills.
But There’s Hope
Now, I’m not all doom and gloom. There are good things happening too. I mean, look at the rise of independent journalism. People are tired of the same old, same old. They want something real, something honest.
And there are still good people out there, doing good work. I was talking to a source the other day, and he told me about this amazing story he was working on. It was about a small town in Scotland that was fighting against a big corporation. And he was doing it the old-fashioned way: shoe leather and notepad. It was inspiring.
But it’s not enough. We need more. We need to remember why we got into this business in the first place. We need to remember that our job is to inform, to educate, to hold power to account. Not to get clicks, not to chase trends, not to make a quick buck.
So, what’s the solution? I’m not sure. But I know it starts with us. With the people who are still in this game, still fighting the good fight. We need to remember what’s important. We need to remember why we started. And we need to remember that, in the end, the truth matters.
And maybe, just maybe, we can fix this mess we’ve made.
About the Author: Linda McBride is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the journalism industry. She’s worked for various publications, from small-town papers to major national outlets. When she’s not writing or editing, she can be found selling knick-knacks on Etsy or complaining about the state of the news industry to anyone who will listen.
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