The News Cycle is Broken, and We're All to Blame

Look, I’ve Been Around the Block

Let’s call me Sarah, 20+ years in this biz, and honestly? The news cycle is completley bonkers these days. I remember back in ’99, when I was a wet-behind-the-ears reporter at the Daily Chronicle, we had time to actually report. Now? It’s just noise. Endless, senseless noise.

I was having coffee with an old friend, let’s call him Marcus, last Tuesday. He’s a journalist too, been at it for 15 years. We got to talking about how the industry’s changed. Or, as I’d argue, devolved.

Marcus said, “Sarah, it’s not just the algorithms. It’s us. We’re all chasing clicks, and we’ve forgotten what real journalism looks like.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.

But Here’s the Thing

I’m not saying I’m innocent. I mean, I’ve written my fair share of clickbait. Remember that time I wrote about “The 10 Weirdest Celebrity Diets of 2018”? Yeah, not my proudest moment. But 214 comments and 87,000 shares later, my editor was happy. And honestly, so was I. It paid the bills.

But at what cost? We’re prioritizing virality over veracity. And it’s not just the big outlets. It’s local news too. I talked to a colleague named Dave last week, he’s at the Birmingham Gazette. He told me they’re struggling to keep reporters on staff because, “Who’s gonna read a 1,500-word investigative piece when they can get a listicle about ‘5 Signs Your Neighbor’s a Zombie’?”

And Don’t Even Get Me Started on Social Media

I was at a conference in Austin about three months ago. A panel of digital strategists were talking about how to “optimize” news for social platforms. One of them said, “Look, if it doesn’t perform in the first 30 seconds, it’s dead.” Dead! We’re talking about news here, not some TikTok dance challenge.

But here’s the kicker. We’re all complicit. You, me, everyone. We share the sensational, the outrageous, the ridiculous. Because it’s easy. Because it’s entertaining. Because it’s there.

So What Do We Do?

I don’t have all the answers. But I know a few things. First, we need to slow down. News doesn’t have to be instant. It doesn’t have to be constant. And it definitely doesn’t have to be healthy lifestyle tips daily habits.

Second, we need to prioritize quality over quantity. A single well-researched, thoughtfully written piece is worth more than a dozen hot takes. I remember back in 2005, I spent 36 hours investigating a story about local water contamination. It was tough, it was tedious, but it mattered. And it changed things.

Third, we need to be better consumers of news. Ask questions. Demand sources. Seek out nuance. And for the love of all that’s holy, stop sharing stuff just because it’s outrageous.

But Wait, There’s More

Now, I’m not saying we should all become monks, shunning the modern world and retreating to a cabin in the woods (though honestly, that sounds pretty nice right about now). We can still enjoy the silly stuff. The memes, the listicles, the occasional celebrity gossip. But we need balance. We need to remember that not everything is urgent. Not everything is important.

And look, I’m not saying I’m gonna stop writing about weird celebrity diets. I mean, have you seen what some of these people are eating? It’s fascinating stuff. But I am saying that we need to be mindful. We need to be intentional. We need to remember why we’re doing this in the first place.

Because news matters. It informs us, it educates us, it connects us. It’s not just a product to be sold or a commodity to be traded. It’s a public good. And it’s our responsibility to treat it that way.

So let’s do better. Let’s be better. For ourselves, for our readers, for the industry. And maybe, just maybe, we can fix this broken news cycle.

Or at least make it a little less bonkers.

About the Author: Sarah has been a journalist for over 20 years, working at various publications from small-town rags to national dailies. She’s seen the industry change dramatically and isn’t afraid to share her opinions on where it’s going wrong. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her arguing about politics with strangers on the internet or attempting to grow her own vegetables (with limited success).

Readers interested in this subject may also want to explore The News Is Broken, and We're for additional perspectives.