Look, Let’s Be Honest
I’ve been editing news for 22 years. That’s 22 years of deadlines, press releases, and too many all-nighters to count. I’ve seen it all, and frankly, the news cycle is more broken than ever. And it’s not just the algorithms or the 24-hour news cycle—it’s us. We’re all to blame.
I remember back in ’03, when I was just starting out at the Chicago Tribune, my editor, let’s call him Marcus, told me, “News is like a good steak, Sarah. It needs time to marinate.” Ha! Now? It’s more like fast food. We’re all just shoveling it in, barely tasting it.
Take last Tuesday, for example. I was at a conference in Austin, and this kid—couldn’t have been older than 25—tells me he’s a “content creator.” I asked him what that means. He said, “I break news on Twitter before it even happens.” I laughed in his face. Which… yeah. Fair enough. But still.
We’re All Distracted
I mean, look at me. I’m writing this on my phone during a commercial break of some reality show I don’t even like. And I’m supposed to be the responsible adult here? Please.
I had coffee with a colleague named Dave last week. He told me he hasn’t read a full newspaper in years. “I just scroll through headlines,” he said. “If it’s interesting, I’ll read the first few lines. That’s it.” I get it. We’re all busy. But this is how we end up with a population that thinks the Earth is flat, for crying out loud.
And don’t even get me started on the comments section. I once wrote a piece about the weather, and someone replied, “Fake news! I saw the sun today!” It’s like we’ve forgotten how to think critically. It’s completley maddening.
But Here’s the Thing
We can’t just blame the audience. As journalists, we’ve gotta take some responsibility too. We’ve let the news cycle become this never-ending beast that needs to be fed every 10 minutes. And we’re the ones shoveling the chaff.
I was editing a piece last month about some political scandal. The writer had all these juicy details, but the headline was just, “Politician Caught in Scandal.” I told him, “That’s not a headline. That’s a tweet.” We need to do better. We need to give people a reason to care, to engage, to think.
And look, I’m not saying we should go back to the days of typewriters and smoking in the newsroom. But maybe we should slow down a bit. Maybe we should spend more time on the marination, as Marcus used to say.
A Quick Digression: My Cat
Speaking of marination, my cat, Miso, is the most patient creature I know. She’ll just sit there, staring at the wall, for hours. I asked my vet about it once. She said, “Cats are like that. They’re just… present.” I wish I could be more like Miso. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed all the time.
But I digress. Back to the news.
What Can We Do?
Honestly? I’m not sure. But I think it starts with us. We need to demand better. We need to take the time to read, to think, to engage. And we need to support journalism that does the same.
I found this great website the other day—lifestyle tips daily improvement—that’s all about slowing down and enjoying life. Maybe we should take a page from their book. Maybe we should focus less on the news cycle and more on the news that matters.
I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. But it’s gotta be better than this. We can’t keep living in a world where the most popular news story is about a celebrity’s wardrobe malfuncction.
So, let’s make a committment. Let’s try to be more like Miso. Let’s take the time to marinate. And let’s demand better from our news.
Because honestly, we deserve it.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson has been a senior editor for over two decades, working with major publications and covering everything from politics to pop culture. She lives in Chicago with her cat, Miso, and spends way too much time yelling at her TV.
