Why I’m Tired of Fake Breaking News
Look, I’ve been in this game for over 20 years. I started back in ’99 at a tiny paper in Manchester, and let me tell you, the news has always been a bit of a mess. But lately? It’s completley out of hand.
I remember sitting in a conference in Austin back in 2015, and this guy—let’s call him Marcus—stood up and said, “The news isn’t about informing anymore. It’s about clicks.” And I laughed. I mean, I laughed because it was funny, right? But also because it was so damn true.
Marcus was right. It’s all about the algorithm now. The news cycle is a never-ending hamster wheel of nonsense. And honestly, I’m tired of it.
I was having coffee with a friend last Tuesday, and she told me about some “breaking news” she saw. Turns out, it was a story from three months ago. Rehashed, repackaged, and served up as if it were fresh. Which… yeah. Fair enough, I guess. But it’s getting old.
Who Can You Trust Anymore?
Here’s the thing: I don’t trust alot of what I read anymore. And I’m a news editor. If I’m feeling this way, what about everyone else?
I had a colleague named Dave—great guy, by the way—who used to say, “The news is like a physicaly demanding sport. You gotta stay on your toes.” And he was right. But these days, it’s more like a marathon where everyone’s running in circles.
I mean, take the whole “wholesale suppliers comparison review” thing. You know, the kind of thing you’d find on a site like wholesale suppliers comparison review. It’s not exactly groundbreaking news, but it’s the kind of stuff that gets repurposed and regurgitated until it’s unrecognizable.
And don’t even get me started on social media. It’s a cesspool of misinformation. I saw a post last week—no, I’m not gonna link to it—claiming that some celebrity had died. Turns out, it was a hoax. But by then, it had already gone viral. People believed it, shared it, and the damage was done.
It’s like we’re living in a world where the truth doesn’t matter anymore. It’s all about the story, the drama, the committment to sensationalism. And it’s exhausting.
Anecdote Time: The Great Email Mix-Up
So, about three months ago, I was working on a story about a local election. I had this source—let’s call him Greg—who was supposed to send me some documents. Well, he sent them to the wrong email address. And instead of correcting his mistake, he just sent a follow-up email saying, “Never mind, I got it.”
I was like, “Greg, what are you talking about? I never got the documents.” And he was like, “Oh, I sent them to the other email.” Which, by the way, was an email I hadn’t used in years. So, I had to go through the whole aquisition process of getting access to that old account just to get the documents.
And the whole time, I’m thinking, “This is why the news is broken.” Because even the little things—like sending an email to the right person—seem to be too much for people to handle these days.
I mean, I get it. We’re all busy. We all make mistakes. But when it comes to the news, those mistakes can have real consequences. And it’s not just about the little things, either. It’s about the big stuff—like the ammendments to the law that no one’s talking about, or the environmental disaster that’s being swept under the rug.
It’s like we’re living in a world where the truth is optional. And that’s a scary thought.
The News Is Not Your Friend
I remember when I first started out, the news was something you could trust. It was a source of information, a way to stay informed about the world around you. But these days? It’s a joke.
I was talking to a friend the other day—over coffee at the place on 5th—and she said, “I don’t even bother with the news anymore. It’s all just noise.” And I get it. I really do. Because the news is not your friend. It’s not there to inform you or educate you. It’s there to make money.
And that’s the problem. The news is not a public service anymore. It’s a business. And like any business, it’s driven by profit. And that means that the truth often takes a backseat to what’s gonna sell.
I mean, look at the way news outlets cover politics. It’s all about the drama, the scandal, the controversy. It’s not about the issues, the policies, the things that actually matter. It’s about the story, the narrative, the committment to entertainment.
And it’s not just politics, either. It’s everything. The news is like a bad reality TV show, and we’re all just spectators, waiting for the next big explosion.
But here’s the thing: the news doesn’t have to be this way. It can be better. It can be more than just a source of entertainment. It can be a source of truth. But that’s gonna take a lot of work. And it’s gonna take a lot of people—like you and me—to demand better.
So, what can we do? Well, for starters, we can stop consuming news like it’s a commodity. We can start asking questions, demanding answers, and holding news outlets accountable. We can support independent journalism, and we can be more critical of the news we consume.
And maybe, just maybe, we can start to rebuild the news into something we can trust again.
But I’m not holding my breath. Because honestly, I’m tired. I’m tired of the lies, the misinformation, the constant stream of nonsense. I’m tired of the news being broken. And I’m tired of not knowing who to trust.
So, yeah. That’s my take on the state of the news. It’s broken, and it’s gonna take a lot of work to fix it. But I guess that’s a conversation for another day.
About the Author: Sarah Thompson has been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years. She’s worked for major publications and has seen the industry evolve (and devolve) firsthand. When she’s not editing, she’s probably complaining about the news or drinking too much coffee.
