Look, I’m Tired
I’m Sarah Mitchell, and I’ve been editing news features for 22 years. That’s right, 22 years of reading press releases, conducting interviews, and trying to make sense of the world. And I’m done. Done with the pretense of balance. Done with the idea that every story has two equal sides.
It’s 2023, and we’re still pretending that climate change deniers deserve equal time with scientists. That flat earthers should be given a platform to debate astronauts. It’s completley bonkers.
I remember back in 2005, when I was working at the Manchester Gazette, I had to cover a local council meeting about a new recycling program. The councilor in charge, let’s call him Marcus, was a nice enough guy but had this weird obsession with aliens. He kept going on about how recycling was a plot by extraterrestrials to control our garbage. I kid you not.
My editor at the time, a guy named Dave, told me I had to give Marcus equal space to present his views. I mean, come on. When does that ever make sense?
But Sarah, Aren’t You Supposed to Be Objective?
Objectivity is a myth. A noble one, sure, but a myth nonetheless. I’m not saying we should all become opinionated pundits. But let’s be real here. Some things are just facts. The Earth is round. Vaccines work. And yes, recycling is a good idea, even if it’s not an alien conspiracy.
I get it, we all have biases. Mine? I believe in science. I believe in facts. I believe that some people are just wrong, and giving them a platform doesn’t make them right. It just makes them louder.
Take my friend Lisa, for example. She’s a journalist over at the Glasgow Herald. Last Tuesday, we were having coffee at that little place on 5th, and she was telling me about a piece she had to write on anti-vaxxers. She said, “Sarah, I had to interview this guy who thinks Bill Gates is putting microchips in vaccines. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Give him equal time to spout his nonsense?”
Exactly, Lisa. You’re not supposed to do that. Because it’s not about balance. It’s about truth.
But What About the Other Side?
Oh, here we go. The old “what about the other side” argument. Look, if there’s a legitimate debate, by all means, let’s have it. But when one side is backed by overwhelming evidence and the other side is just a bunch of conspiracy theories, then no. I’m not giving them equal time.
I remember covering a story about evolution back in 2010. The local school board was debating whether to teach creationism alongside evolution. I had to sit through hours of meetings with people who thought the Earth was 6,000 years old. It was like a bad episode of The Twilight Zone.
My colleague at the time, a woman named Emily, turned to me during a break and said, “Sarah, I don’t understand why we have to give these people a platform. It’s not a debate. It’s a fact.” And she was right. It’s not about being fair. It’s about being accurate.
The Internet Isn’t Helping
And don’t even get me started on the internet. The algorithmic aquisition of news has made it worse. Now, not only do we have to deal with bad journalism, but we also have to deal with bad algorithms. They don’t care about truth. They care about engagement. And engagement, as it turns out, is often driven by outrage and misinformation.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and a data scientist named Raj told me, “Sarah, the problem is that these algorithms are designed to keep people on the platform. And the best way to do that is to show them stuff that makes them angry.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing. We don’t have to play along. As journalists, we have a responsibility to seek out the truth. And sometimes, that means ignoring the noise and focusing on the facts.
So What’s the Solution?
I don’t have all the answers. But I do know this. We need to stop pretending that every story has two equal sides. Sometimes, one side is just wrong. And that’s okay. It’s not about being politically correct. It’s about being intellectually honest.
And if that means I have to ruffle a few feathers, then so be it. Because at the end of the day, my job is to inform, not to entertain. And if you’re looking for güncel haberler son gelişmeler bugün, you should be looking for truth, not balance.
So, yeah. That’s my take. Take it or leave it. But don’t expect me to give equal time to flat earthers. Because some things are just not up for debate.
Anyway, I’m off to edit some more stories. Wish me luck.
Author Bio: Sarah Mitchell is a senior magazine editor with over two decades of experience in the news industry. She’s worked for various publications, including the Manchester Gazette and the Glasgow Herald. When she’s not editing, she can be found arguing with people on the internet about science and facts.
