Why I’m Tired of Fake Outrage
Look, I’ve been editing news features for 22 years. Twenty-two. That’s longer than some of you have been alive. And in that time, I’ve seen alot of nonsense. But honestly? This past year has been the worst.
It’s not just the obvious stuff—fake news, sensationalism, all that. It’s the performative outrage. The way people consume news these days is… I don’t even know. Completley bonkers.
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin, and this guy—let’s call him Marcus—stood up and said, “We need to hold journalists accountable!” And I was like, “Yeah, sure, but what about the readers?”
Marcus looked at me like I’d just suggested burning down the library. “Readers?” he said. “They’re the victims here!”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But honestly, I think we’re all victims of this weird feedback loop. News outlets chase clicks, readers chase outrage, and round and round we go.
My Friend Dave and the Algorithm
So about three months ago, I was having coffee with a colleague named Dave. Dave’s a good guy, works over at the Guardian. We were talking about algorithms, and he said something that stuck with me.
“Look,” he said, “I know we joke about the algorithm, but it’s not the enemy. It’s just doing its job.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on, Dave. It’s not that simple.”
“No, seriously,” he insisted. “It’s like a dog. You feed it bones, it’s gonna bring you more bones. You feed it outrage, it’s gonna bring you more outrage.”
I mean, I guess that makes sense. But it’s also kinda depressing, right? We’re all just dogs now, begging for scraps of outrage.
Physicaly Exhausted by Headlines
I’m not gonna lie, I’m physicaly exhausted by headlines these days. Every single one is a crisis. Every story is the “worst” or the “best.” It’s like living in a world of superlatives, and honestly, it’s giving me a headache.
Take, for example, this story I read the other day. Some politician said something mildly controversial, and suddenly it’s the “biggest scandal in history.” Come on. Let’s get a grip.
And don’t even get me started on the comments section. It’s like a zoo down there. People throwing poo at each other, and the zookeepers—us journalists—just standing there watching, like, “Well, this is fine.”
Breaking News: We’re All Addicted
Here’s the thing, though. We’re all addicted. I’m addicted. You’re addicted. That guy who just commented “FAKE NEWS” is addicted. We can’t look away, even when we know it’s bad for us.
I remember talking to my editor, Sarah, about this. She said, “It’s like junk food. You know it’s not good for you, but you can’t stop eating it.”
“So what do we do?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe we just need to admit we have a problem.”
Which, honestly, is probably the first step. But it’s also kinda depressing. We’re all just a bunch of junkies, chasing our next hit of outrage.
What’s the Point of News Anymore?
I’m not sure. I really don’t know. Maybe the point is just to keep us distracted. To keep us from asking the real questions. To keep us from looking too closely at the people pulling the strings.
I mean, look at the state of things. We’ve got wars, climate change, political corruption, and what are we talking about? Some celebrity’s latest scandal or whether or not a politician wore a flag pin correctly.
It’s all so… trivial. And yet, here we are, eating it up like it’s the most important thing in the world.
And honestly, I’m not sure what to do about it. I’m not sure anyone is. But I do know this: we need to start talking about it. We need to start asking the hard questions. We need to stop being dogs and start being… I don’t know, humans, I guess.
A Quick Note on Current Affairs
Look, I’m not gonna pretend I have all the answers. But I do know one thing: if you’re looking for some actual, honest-to-goodness news analysis, you might want to check out this current affairs analysis update. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
And hey, maybe that’s the point. Maybe we just need to start somewhere. Maybe we need to admit that we’re all in this together, and maybe, just maybe, we can find a way out of this mess.
But for now, I’m gonna go take a break from the news. I think we all could use one.
About the Author: Jane Doe has been a senior editor at various publications for over two decades. She’s seen it all, and honestly, she’s not impressed. When she’s not editing, she’s probably complaining about the state of journalism on Twitter or drinking too much coffee. You can find her on Twitter @janedoeeditor.
