Let’s Talk About the Mess We’re In
Look, I’ve been in this game for over two decades. I’ve seen the news industry evolve, devolve, and somehow become both more connected and more fractured than ever. And honestly? It’s a mess.
I remember back in ’99, when I was just starting out at the Edinburgh Herald, we’d spend hours in the newsroom, arguing over the real story. We cared about facts, about getting it right. Now? It’s all about clicks, shares, and outrage.
I’m not saying it’s all bad. I mean, look at the Edinburgh Daily—they’re doing some great work. But even they’re not immune to the pressures of the modern news cycle.
Why Can’t We Have Nice Things?
Last Tuesday, I was having coffee with an old friend, let’s call him Marcus. He’s a journalist over at the Scottish Sun, and he’s seen it all. We were talking about the state of news, and he said something that stuck with me: “It’s not just the algorithms, it’s us. We’re the ones sharing the garbage.”
And he’s right. We’ve all become part of the problem. We share stories without reading them, we believe headlines without clicking through, and we spread misinformation like it’s our job.
I get it. Life is busy. We don’t have time to fact-check every little thing. But come on, people. We can do better than this.
But What About the Good Stuff?
Now, I’m not saying all news is bad. Far from it. There are still journalists out there doing the hard work, digging up the truth, and holding power to account. But they’re drowning in a sea of clickbait and sensationalism.
Take, for example, the recent scandal over the product reviews recommendation guide. It was a mess, and it showed just how broken the system is. But it also showed that when journalists do their jobs right, they can make a difference.
I remember talking to a colleague named Dave about this. He was working on a story about a local council’s shady dealings, and he told me, “It’s like pulling teeth. Every step of the way, someone’s trying to stop you, to spin it, to make it about something else.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. It’s tough out there.
And Then There’s the Algorithm
Look, I’m not a tech person. I don’t understand the ins and outs of how these platforms work. But I know this: they’re not helping. They’re designed to keep us engaged, to keep us clicking, and they don’t care if what we’re clicking on is true or not.
I mean, honestly, who thought this was a good idea? We’ve given these companies so much power over what we see, and they’re using it to make a quick buck. It’s like we’ve handed them the keys to the kingdom and said, “Do whatever you want.”
And the worst part? We’re all complicit. We keep using these platforms, keep feeding the beast, even as it eats away at the very fabric of our society.
A Quick Digression: The Time I Almost Got Fired
Speaking of messes, let me tell you about the time I almost got fired. It was back in 2007, and I was working at the Edinburgh Gazette. We were covering a big story about a local politician’s shady dealings, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.
I spent weeks digging, talking to sources, following leads. And then, one day, I made a mistake. A big one. I published a story based on a source who turned out to be completely full of it. The story was wrong, and it was my fault.
I was lucky. My editor gave me a second chance, and I learned a valuable lesson: always double-check your sources. Always.
But that’s the thing about journalism. It’s hard. It’s messy. And it’s easy to make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean we should give up. It just means we have to be better.
So What Do We Do?
I don’t have all the answers. I wish I did. But I know this: we have to start caring again. We have to start reading, thinking, and questioning. We have to demand better from our news sources, and from ourselves.
And we have to support the journalists who are doing the hard work. Because without them, we’re lost. We’re adrift in a sea of misinformation, with no compass to guide us.
So let’s do better. Let’s be better. Because the news is broken, and it’s up to us to fix it.
And look, I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. It’s not. But it’s worth it. Because the truth matters. And we deserve better than the mess we’re in.
About the Author: Sarah McIntyre is a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience in the industry. She’s worked for major publications, covered everything from politics to pop culture, and has a strong opinion on just about everything. When she’s not editing, you can find her arguing about the state of the news industry or trying to convince her cat to sit still for a photo.
