Honestly, I’m Tired
It’s 11:30pm on a Tuesday, and I’m staring at my screen, trying to make sense of the 214 emails that have piled up in my inbox. Most of them are press releases. Useless. I mean, who actually reads these things? (Honestly, nobody. But here we are.)
I’ve been a journalist for 22 years. That’s more than half my life. I started at a small paper in Des Moines, Iowa—let’s call it the Des Moines Daily—back in 1998. It was a different time. We had deadlines, but they weren’t frantic. We had stories, but they weren’t clickbait. We had news, but it wasn’t a never-ending stream of nonsense.
Now? Now it’s a circus. And I’m not just saying that because I’m old and grumpy. I’m saying that because it’s true.
Breaking News: It’s All Broken
Let me tell you about last Tuesday. I was at a conference in Austin—yeah, one of those things where everyone wears hoodies and talks about disruption. There was this guy, let’s call him Marcus, who stood up and said, “The news cycle is broken.” And I thought, “No shit, Marcus. Tell us something we don’t know.”
But then he went on. He talked about how we’re all complicit. How we chase clicks and shares and likes instead of chasing the truth. How we prioritize speed over accuracy. How we’d rather be first than be right.
And I sat there, nodding along, thinking about the time I published a story based on a tweet. A tweet! I didn’t even verify it. I just saw it, believed it, and hit publish. And then, of course, it turned out to be completley wrong. But by then, the damage was done. The story had spread like wildfire. And I was left with a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Marcus was right. We’re all to blame. Journalists, readers, social media algorithms—everyone.
But What Can We Do?
Look, I don’t have all the answers. But I know a few things. First, we need to slow down. We need to take a breath. We need to remember that not every story needs to be broken first. Sometimes, it’s better to be thorough than to be fast.
Second, we need to be better consumers of news. We need to question what we read. We need to seek out multiple sources. We need to think critically. And we need to stop sharing stuff just because it makes us feel something. (I’m looking at you, Facebook.)
Third, we need to support quality journalism. That means paying for news. It means subscribing to publications that do good work. It means valuing the work of journalists who are trying to do it right.
And finally, we need to remember why we’re doing this in the first place. We’re not here to entertain. We’re not here to make people feel good. We’re here to inform. We’re here to hold power to account. We’re here to tell the truth, even when it’s inconvenient.
Which brings me to something else. 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 kinda bad pastries but great coffee. Anyway, Dave said something that stuck with me. He said, “Journalism is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it.” And I think he’s right. We need to exercise our critical thinking muscles. We need to stay sharp. We need to keep questioning, keep digging, keep pushing.
So, yeah. The news cycle is broken. But it’s not beyond repair. It’s gonna take work. It’s gonna take committment. But I think we can do it. I hope we can do it.
Anyway, I’m gonna go now. I’ve got a story to write. And this time, I’m gonna make sure it’s right before I hit publish.
Oh, and if you’re looking for some tips on how to improve your daily habits, check out this self improvement daily habits guide. It’s not directly related, but hey, why not?
Off Topic: The Weather
You know what else is broken? The weather. I mean, it’s October, and it’s 87 degrees outside. What is this, Florida? I don’t get it. But that’s a story for another day.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson has been a journalist for over two decades, working at various publications across the Midwest. She currently serves as the senior editor at IowaDaily.com, where she covers a wide range of topics, from local politics to global affairs. When she’s not writing, she can be found drinking too much coffee, complaining about the weather, and trying to keep up with her two cats, Whiskers and Tails.
To gain a deeper understanding of how the rapid news cycle impacts journalism and public perception, consider this insightful analysis on the challenges facing today’s news media.
