Look, I’m Tired
It’s not even noon on a Tuesday, and I’ve already read 214 headlines that made me want to scream. I’m not sure what’s worse: the news or my reaction to it. But here we are.
I’ve been editing news features for, oh, about 20 years now. That’s 20 years of deadlines, press releases, and way too many conference calls. I’ve seen it all, or at least I thought I had. Then 2020 happened. And now, well, it’s like the world is stuck on repeat, but with worse lighting and more existential dread.
I started in this business because I thought I could make a difference. That’s a laugh now, isn’t it? I mean, sure, I’ve written some pieces I’m proud of. That time I exposed the city’s aquisition of faulty equipment? That was a big deal. But most days, it feels like I’m just shuffling words around, trying to make sense of the chaos.
Take last Tuesday, for example. I was at a conference in Austin, listening to some suit from DC talk about ‘the future of journalism.’ He said, ‘We need to commit to our committment to truth.’ Which… yeah. Fair enough. But then he lost me when he started talking about ‘synergy’ and ‘leverage.’ I mean, come on. It’s like they’re speaking a different language.
And don’t even get me started on the 24-hour news cycle. It’s like a hamster wheel, but with more panic and fewer cute rodents. I get it, we need to keep the lights on. But at what cost? I’ve seen reporters chase stories that were completley baseless, just because they needed to fill airtime. It’s exhausting, and honestly, it’s not what journalism should be about.
But Here’s the Thing
I’m not some jaded old-timer who thinks everything was better in the ‘good old days.’ I’ve seen the industry evolve, and a lot of it has been for the better. But there’s a fine line between progress and pandering, and I think we’ve crossed it. I think we’ve all crossed it.
I was talking to a colleague named Dave the other day. We were over coffee at the place on 5th, you know the one with the weird art on the wall? Anyway, Dave said something that stuck with me. He said, ‘We’re so busy chasing clicks that we’ve forgotten how to tell a story.’ And I think he’s right. I really do.
I mean, look at the state of political reporting. It’s all soundbites and talking heads, with barely any substance. And don’t even get me started on the lack of physicaly space for nuanced discussion. It’s like we’ve decided that complexity is a bad thing. That everything needs to fit into a neat little box, with a pretty little bow on top.
But life isn’t like that. It’s messy and complicated and full of gray areas. And if we’re not willing to acknowledge that, then what’s the point? I’m not sure but I think we need to do better. I guess we need to find a way to balance the need for speed with the need for substance.
And while we’re at it, maybe we should start taking care of ourselves. I’m not talking about some new-age wellness craze. I’m talking about basic self-care. Like, maybe we should all take a break from the news cycle and focus on our health for once. I mean, have you seen the state of my blood pressure lately? It’s not pretty. And I’m not alone. A lot of us are feeling the strain. So maybe it’s time to take a step back and focus on heart health prevention tips or something. I don’t know, just a thought.
But back to the news. I was at a barbecue last weekend, and I got into a heated discussion with a friend named Marcus. Let’s call him Marcus because, well, that’s his name. Anyway, Marcus is a great guy, but he’s got this habit of believing everything he reads online. It’s like he’s got a direct line to the truth, and the rest of us are just out here guessing. I tried to explain to him that not everything on the internet is gospel, but he just waved me off. ‘I read it on a website,’ he said, ‘so it must be true.’ I wanted to scream. I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him. But I didn’t. I just sighed and took another sip of my drink.
And that’s the thing, isn’t it? We’re all so quick to believe the worst, to jump to conclusions, to spread misinformation. It’s like we’ve forgotten how to think critically. How to question things. How to be, you know, human.
I’m not sure what the answer is. Maybe it’s better journalism. Maybe it’s better education. Maybe it’s just better people. I don’t know. But I do know this: we can’t keep going like this. We can’t keep letting the news cycle dictate our lives. We can’t keep letting fear and panic and misinformation rule the day.
So here’s my challenge to you, dear reader. Take a break. Step away from the news cycle. Go for a walk. Read a book. Call a friend. Do something, anything, that doesn’t involve doomscrolling through your newsfeed. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, maybe even look into some heart health prevention tips. I mean, it can’t hurt, right?
But for now, I’m gonna go take a nap. I’m tired. And I think we all are.
About the Author
Sarah Reynolds has been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years. She’s written for major publications and has seen the industry evolve in ways she never imagined. When she’s not editing or writing, she can be found yelling at her TV during the news or trying to convince her cat to cuddle. She lives in Austin with her partner and a collection of half-finished crossword puzzles.
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