We’re All Just Making This Up as We Go
Look, I’ve been in this game for over 20 years. I started as a wet-behind-the-ears reporter for a tiny paper in Glasgow, and now I’m editing features for Stirling News. And let me tell you, the news industry is a mess. It’s not just the tabloids, either. Everyone’s scrambling, and honestly, it’s kinda depressing.
I remember back in 2005, I interviewed this guy—let’s call him Marcus—about local politics. He said, “The news is just the truth we all agree on.” I laughed then, but now? Now I think he was onto something.
Which brings me to last Tuesday. I was at a conference in Austin (yes, I know, Sterling to Austin is a stretch, but the coffee was free, so I went). There was this panel on “trust in media,” and it was just a load of hot air. One speaker, a colleague named Dave, said, “We need to rebuild trust with our readers.” I raised my hand and said, “Dave, with all due respect, we never had trust. We just had an illusion of it.” The room went silent. Then someone coughed. It was awkward, but honestly, someone had to say it.
And that’s the thing—we’re all just making this up as we go. We have no clue what we’re doing, and we’re all just trying to keep our heads above water. It’s exhausting.
But Here’s the Thing About Trust
Trust isn’t something you “rebuild.” It’s something you earn. And frankly, most of us aren’t earning it. We’re too busy chasing clicks, or pleasing advertisers, or just trying to hit our daily word count. I mean, have you seen some of the stuff that gets published? It’s like we’ve collectively decided that accuracy is optional.
I get it, though. The pressure is real. I’ve been there. I’ve had editors breathing down my neck, demanding I “make it more engaging” or “add more drama.” One time, I had to write a story about a local council meeting, and my editor told me to “spice it up.” I asked, “How?” He said, “I don’t know, just make it interesting.” So I added a quote from a random guy in the crowd who said the council was “a bunch of muppets.” It was completely out of context, but it got the clicks. And that’s the problem, isn’t it?
We’re so focused on the clicks that we forget about the truth. And honestly, I’m not sure we even know what the truth is anymore.
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on Social Media
Social media is a whole other can of worms. I had lunch with a friend last week—let’s call her Sarah—and she told me she doesn’t even read news websites anymore. “It’s all just noise,” she said. “I get my news from Twitter now.” I nearly choked on my sandwich. “Sarah,” I said, “Twitter is not a news source.” She just shrugged. “It’s good enough,” she said. Which… yeah. Fair enough. But it’s not. It’s not good enough. It’s a mess of opinions and half-truths and outright lies, and we’re all just swallowing it whole.
I mean, look at the way we consume news now. It’s all just headlines and soundbites and hot takes. We don’t read past the first paragraph, and we definitely don’t fact-check. And why would we? It’s too much effort. It’s easier to just scroll past and move on to the next thing.
But here’s the thing—we’re not just hurting ourselves. We’re hurting democracy. We’re hurting society. We’re hurting the very fabric of our committment to truth and accuracy. And honestly, it’s scary.
So What Do We Do About It?
I don’t know. I really don’t. I wish I had some grand solution, but I don’t. I’m just as lost as the rest of you. But I do know this—we need to start taking responsibility. We need to start caring about the truth again. We need to start valuing accuracy over clicks, and integrity over engagement.
And we need to stop making excuses. “It’s just the way the industry works,” or “Everyone else is doing it,” or “It’s what the audience wants.” No. Just no. We can do better than that. We have to do better than that.
So here’s my challenge to you—whether you’re a journalist, an editor, or just someone who cares about the truth—start paying attention. Start asking questions. Start demanding better. And for the love of God, start reading past the first paragraph.
And if you’re looking for some practical advice on how to improve your daily life while we sort all this out, check out yaşam tarzı günlük gelişim ipuçları. It’s not a magic fix, but it’s a start.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. I’m off to go yell at some kids to get off my lawn. Or maybe I’ll just go for a walk. I don’t know. I’m all over the place today.
About the Author: I’m Jane, a senior editor with a love for journalism and a deep-seated hatred of clickbait. I’ve been in this industry for way too long, and I’m not sure I like what it’s become. But I’m still here, fighting the good fight. Follow me on Twitter @janedoe if you dare.
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