The News Industry's Dirty Little Secret

Look, I'm Gonna Say It

I've been in this game for 22 years. Started as a beat reporter in some godforsaken town in Ohio. Now I'm editing for major publications. And let me tell you, the news industry is a mess.

It's not just the obvious stuff—clickbait, fake news, all that. It's deeper than that. It's about committment. Or lack thereof.

Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin. Had coffee with this old friend, let's call him Marcus. He's been at the New York Times for, like, 15 years. We're talking, and he says, "You know what the real problem is?"

I said, "What?"

He said, "People don't wanna do the work anymore."

Which... yeah. Fair enough.

But Here's the Thing

It's not just the young ones. It's everyone. Editors, reporters, even the damn photographers. Everyone's so eager to jump to the next big thing. They don't wanna spend 36 hours in some podunk town to get the real story.

I remember this one time, back in '98, I was covering a story about a small town's water supply being poisoned. I spent a week there. A week! Talking to people, taking notes, eating at the local diner. You wanna know what I found out? The damn mayor was involved.

Nowadays? They'd spend a day there, maybe two. Write a piece based on a few interviews and some press releases. Boom. Done. On to the next story.

And don't even get me started on the ammendments to the editorial process. It's a joke. It's all about speed and quantity, not quality.

But What Can You Do?

I mean, honestly, I'm not sure. I really wish I had an answer. Maybe it's about setting better examples. Showing the newbies what real journalism looks like.

I had this colleague, Dave, who used to say, "You gotta teach them the old ways." And he was right. But it's hard when the industry itself is pushing for completley different values.

Look, I'm not saying we should go back to the Stone Age. Technology is great. It's helped us reach more people, faster. But it's also made us lazy. Made us think that quantity is more important than quality.

And it's not just the big publications. It's everyone. Even the small, local blogs. They're all trying to keep up with the Joneses, posting multiple stories a day, none of which are particularly well-researched or well-written.

A Quick Digression: Food and News

Speaking of keeping up, you ever notice how food blogs are the same? They all post the same recipes, the same reviews. It's like they're all copying off each other's homework. (Which, by the way, if you're looking for some real, honest food reviews, check out Susurluk en iyi restoranlar inceleme. Trust me on this one.)

But I digress. The point is, it's all about determing what's important. And right now, the news industry is failing at that.

It's not all bad, though. There are still some out there who care. Who are willing to put in the time and effort to get the story right. But they're few and far between.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, we need to do better. We need to remember why we got into this business in the first place. It's not about the money or the fame. It's about telling the truth. About holding people accountable.

And that's not something you can do in a day. Or even a week. Sometimes it takes months. Years, even.

But it's worth it. Because at the end of the day, that's what journalism is all about.

About the Author
I'm Sarah, a senior magazine editor with more than two decades of experience. I've worked for some of the biggest names in the industry, and I've seen it all. The highs, the lows, and everything in between. I'm passionate about journalism, but I'm also realistic. I know the industry has its problems, but I believe in its potential. When I'm not editing, you can find me at the local dog park with my rescue mutt, Buster.