I’m Done Pretending Everything’s Fine
Look, I’ve been in this business for 22 years. I’ve seen alot, and I’m not gonna sit here and tell you the news cycle isn’t completley bonkers right now. It’s not just me either. I was at a conference in Austin last month, and every journalist there was saying the same thing. We’re all just… done.
I remember back in ’99, when I first started at the Gazette, it was different. You had time to report, to fact-check, to actually think about what you were putting out into the world. Now? It’s a never-ending stream of hot takes and half-baked stories. And don’t even get me started on the algorithms. They’re like piranhas, always hungry for the next big thing, never satisfied.
Social Media Is Eating Our Brains
I had coffee with a colleague named Dave last Tuesday. He’s a good guy, been in the biz longer than me. We were talking about how social media has changed everything. He said, ‘Remember when we used to have to actually go out and find news?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, Dave, I do. And it was better than this.’
It’s like we’re all just reacting now. Something happens, and immediately everyone’s got an opinion. And not just opinions—hot takes. Controversial takes. Takes designed to get clicks and shares, not to inform or educate. It’s exhausting.
And the worst part? It’s working. People are lapping this stuff up. I saw a study once—okay, fine, it was a tweet with a screenshot of a study—anyway, it said that people are more likely to share a story if it makes them angry. Angry! Not informed, not educated, not even entertained. Angry.
But Here’s the Thing…
I’m not saying we should all just give up and become monks or something. (Although, honestly, that does sound pretty nice right about now.) No, what I’m saying is that we need to take a step back. We need to remember why we got into this business in the first place.
I got into journalism because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to inform people, to hold the powerful accountable, to tell the stories that needed to be told. And I think most of my colleagues felt the same way. But somewhere along the line, we lost sight of that. We got caught up in the cycle, in the chase for clicks, in the never-ending quest for more.
And it’s not just the fault of the media, either. We’re all complicit in this. Every time we share a hot take without reading the article, every time we engage with a controversial post just to say ‘I told you so,’ we’re making this worse. We’re feeding the beast.
So What Do We Do About It?
I don’t have all the answers. Honestly, I’m not even sure I have any of the answers. But I do know that we need to start somewhere. And that somewhere is with ourselves.
We need to stop reacting and start thinking. We need to stop sharing and start reading. We need to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. And that starts with each and every one of us.
So here’s my challenge to you—and to myself: Let’s try to be better. Let’s try to be more informed, more thoughtful, more… human. Let’s try to remember that there are real people behind these stories, behind these headlines, behind these hot takes. And let’s try to treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve.
It’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna take time, and effort, and committment. But I think—no, I know—it’s worth it. Because the alternative is just… I can’t even. It’s too depressing to think about.
So let’s do this. Let’s make a change. Let’s break the cycle. Because honestly, I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.
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Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. I’m gonna go take a long walk and try to clear my head. Maybe I’ll see you out there. Maybe I won’t. But either way, let’s try to be better. Deal?
About the Author: Sarah Jenkins has been a senior editor at VegasNewser for the past 15 years. She’s seen it all, done it all, and has the cynicism—and the caffeine addiction—to prove it. When she’s not wrangling writers or arguing with advertisers, she can be found wandering the Strip, looking for the perfect margarita. Her cat, Mr. Whiskers, is the real boss around her office, and she’s pretty sure he’s plotting world domination. Follow her on Twitter @SarahJenkinsVegas, if you dare.
