I’m Tired of Pretending We’re All Getting Our News the Right Way
Look, I’ve been in this game for over two decades. I’ve seen the shift from print to digital, from watercooler chats to Twitter rants. And honestly? We’re in a mess. A glorious, chaotic, completley unorganized mess.
I’m Sarah, by the way. Senior editor at a major publication. I’ve got opinions. Strong ones. And I’m done pretending everyone’s got their news diet figured out.
That Time I Tried to Go Offline
About three months ago, I decided to go cold turkey. No news apps, no 24-hour cable channels, nothing. Just me, a book, and the occasional newspaper. (Yes, they still exist.)
It lasted a week. A week! Then I found myself at a conference in Austin, listening to some hotshot tech bro explain blockchain to a room full of people who probably still thought the internet was a fad. I needed context. I needed background. So I caved. Pulled out my phone. Scrolled. And scrolled. And scrolled.
Which, honestly, is how most of us consume news now. It’s not pretty. It’s not polished. But it’s real.
Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Room
Social media. Ugh. I know, I know. It’s the devil. It’s the savior. It’s both. It’s neither. I don’t know. You tell me.
I was having coffee with a colleague named Dave last Tuesday. He’s a data guy. Loves his spreadsheets. Told me he tracked his news consumption for a month. Guess what? 67% of his news came from Twitter. Sixty-seven percent! And he’s not some random guy. He’s a journalist. A professional. And he’s getting most of his news from a platform designed for memes and arguments about fast food.
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But Here’s the Thing About Social Media
It’s not all bad. I mean, look at world news highlights today. It’s a mess, sure, but it’s a mess that keeps me informed. I can get updates from places I’d never think to look. I can see perspectives I’d never consider. It’s not perfect. But neither is any other news source.
And let’s be real here. The gatekeepers aren’t always right. They’re humans too. They make mistakes. They have biases. They get things wrong. Remember when everyone thought the world was flat? Yeah, me too. Because I was there. Kind of.
A Quick Detour: The Time I Interviewed a Flat Earther
Okay, this isn’t about news consumption. But it’s a good story. So, last year, I interviewed this guy. Let’s call him Marcus. He was convinced the Earth was flat. Flat! Like a pancake. I asked him where he got his information. You know what he said? “The internet.” Of course he did.
But here’s the thing. He wasn’t some uneducated rube. He was a teacher. A science teacher. And he was using the same tools the rest of us use to consume news. He was just using them differently.
Which, I guess, is the point. We all consume news differently. And that’s okay. It’s messy. It’s imperfect. But it’s real.
Back to the Mess
So, where does that leave us? I’m not sure. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone is. We’re all just kinda feeling our way through this. Trying to stay informed. Trying to stay sane.
And, look, I’m not saying we should all just give up and let the algorithms decide what we see. But maybe, just maybe, we should cut each other some slack. We’re all in this together. And we’re all doing the best we can.
Even if it’s not pretty. Even if it’s not perfect. Even if it’s just a glorified, chaotic, completley unorganized mess.
About the Author: Sarah Thompson is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s seen it all, from the rise of the 24-hour news cycle to the age of social media. She’s opinionated, she’s blunt, and she’s not afraid to admit when she’s wrong. Which, honestly, is probably more than most of us can say.
