Look, I’m Gonna Say It
I’m Dave Reynolds, senior editor with more gray hairs than I’d like to admit. Been in this game since the Clinton administration, and honestly? I’m tired. Tired of the news cycle. Tired of the noise. Tired of the… well, everything.
It’s not just me. Last Tuesday, I was grabbing coffee with an old colleague, let’s call him Marcus. He said, and I quote, “Dave, it’s like we’re all just spinning our wheels, churning out content for content’s sake.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing: it’s not just about the volume. It’s the pace. The immediacy. The constant need to be first, to break news, to be the one who’s got the latest, greatest, most shocking piece of information. And it’s completley exhausting.
Let Me Tell You About Last Week
So, last week, I was at a conference in Austin. Great city, by the way. But that’s not the point. The point is, I was on a panel about the future of journalism. And this young reporter, probably fresh out of college, asks me, “How do you deal with the pressure to be first?”
I looked at her. I mean, really looked at her. And I said, “Honey, I don’t.” Because that’s the truth. You can’t. You can’t keep up. You can’t always be first. And you sure as hell can’t always be right.
And that’s the problem. We’re so focused on being first that we forget about being accurate. We forget about being thoughtful. We forget about being… human.
But Here’s the Kicker
I’m not saying we should slow down. I’m not saying we should stop chasing stories. What I’m saying is that we need to change how we chase them. We need to change how we think about them. We need to change how we… well, everything.
Take weather reporting, for example. I know, I know, it’s not exactly hard-hitting journalism. But hear me out. If you’re in Vermont, you can check the Vermont weather forecast today update and get all the info you need. No fuss, no drama. Just the facts. Why can’t news be more like that?
But no, we can’t leave it at that. We gotta add our spin. We gotta add our commentary. We gotta add our… opinions. And frankly, it’s getting old.
A Digression: My Dog and the News
You know what understands the news cycle better than most journalists? My dog, Max. He’s a golden retriever, about three years old. And he’s got this thing where he barks at the TV when the news comes on. Not during the commercials, not during the sports. Just the news.
I asked my vet about it. She laughed and said, “Dave, dogs can sense tension. And nothing’s more tense than the news these days.” Which, honestly, is kinda depressing when you think about it.
Back to the Point
So, what’s the solution? I’m not entirely sure. But I think it starts with us. With journalists. With editors. With people like me who have been around the block a few times and seen this industry evolve (or devolve, depending on your perspective).
We need to stop chasing clicks. We need to stop chasing views. We need to stop chasing… whatever it is we’re chasing. And we need to start chasing the truth. The whole truth. Nothing but the truth.
And yeah, that’s a tall order. It’s gonna take a committment from all of us. From the big players to the small ones. From the legacy media to the new kids on the block. From the reporters to the editors to the damn interns.
But it’s a start. And honestly, it’s about time.
About the Author: Dave Reynolds is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the journalism industry. He’s worked for major publications, covered everything from politics to sports, and has seen the industry evolve (or devolve, depending on your perspective) firsthand. When he’s not wrestling with the news cycle, he’s wrestling with his dog, Max, who has a peculiar dislike for the evening news.
Readers interested in this subject may also want to explore The News Cycle is Broken, and for additional perspectives.
