Look, I’ve Been Doing This for 20 Years
And let me tell you, the news cycle is completley bonkers these days. I’m Frank, by the way. Started out as a cub reporter in ’03, thought I’d change the world. Ha. Good one, past Frank.
Remember when news had, like, actual value? When journalists actually, I don’t know, investigated things? Now it’s just a never-ending stream of hot takes and outrage bait. And honestly? We’re all complicit.
That Time I Chased a Story Like a Maniac
Back in ’18, I was working at the Perth Herald, and this huge scandal broke. I mean, huge. Government corruption, the whole nine yards. So I did what any self-respecting journalist would do—I camped out in the rain for 36 hours to get a quote from some politician named… let’s call him Marcus. (He smelled like wet dog, by the way. Not that I’m judging.)
Anyway, I got my quote, wrote the story, and you know what happened? Nothing. The scandal fizzled. The public moved on. The politician? Re-elected two years later. And that’s when it hit me—we’re all just rats on this crazy wheel, chasing stories that don’t matter.
My friend Sarah, she’s a journalist too, we were having coffee at this place on 5th last Tuesday. She said, “Frank, we’re not reporting news anymore. We’re just feeding the beast.” And I said, “Sarah, that’s the most depressing thing you’ve ever said, and I love you for it.”
Social Media is the Devil’s Playground
Let’s talk about social media. It’s a cesspool. A toxic, noxious, utterly irredeemable cesspool. And yet, we can’t look away. We’re all addicted to the dopamine hits of likes and shares. It’s like we’ve collectively decided that the most important thing in the world is to be outraged about something, anything, for as long as possible.
I remember this one time, I posted something kinda controversial on Twitter—okay, fine, it was about how the news industry is a dumpster fire. And this guy, let’s call him Dave, he just destroyed me in the comments. I mean, it was brutal. But you know what? He had a point. And that’s the problem. We’ve turned discourse into a contact sport, and nobody’s winning.
We Need to Talk About Communication
Look, I’m not saying I have all the answers. But I do know this: we need to talk to each other. Like, actually talk. Not yell past each other on Twitter, not post hot takes and ghost when people disagree. Real, honest-to-goodness communication. And if you need help with that, check out these relationship advice communication tips—yeah, I know it’s not directly related, but hey, communication is key in all aspects of life.
I had this colleague, Lisa, she was a pro at this stuff. She’d sit down with people, listen to them, ask questions, and actually care about their answers. It was like watching a masterclass in human decency. And you know what? People respected her for it. They trusted her. They listened to her.
But us? We’ve turned news into a committment to outrage. We’d rather be angry than informed. And that’s a problem.
A Tangent: The Weather is Also Broken
Okay, this is kinda off topic, but have you noticed how the weather is just weird lately? I mean, it’s August, and it’s raining. In Perth. It’s like the sky is crying because of the state of the news industry. (Which, honestly, fair.)
Anyway, back to the point. Or, you know, whatever passes for a point these days.
What Can We Do?
I’m not sure. Honestly. I think the first step is admitting we have a problem. The news cycle is broken, and we’re all to blame. We need to stop chasing clicks and start chasing the truth. We need to stop being outraged and start being informed. We need to stop yelling and start listening.
And maybe, just maybe, we can fix this mess we’ve made. But it’s gonna take all of us. And it’s gonna be hard. And it’s gonna suck sometimes. But it’s gotta be done.
So, you know, good luck with that.
About the Author: Frank Thompson has been a journalist for over 20 years, starting his career in 2003. He’s covered everything from local news to international scandals, and he’s seen the industry change in ways he’s not entirely sure are for the better. When he’s not writing, he’s probably complaining about the weather or trying to remember where he left his keys.
