I’m Tired of Fake Outrage
Look, I’ve been editing news features for more than two decades. Twenty-one years, to be exact. And let me tell you something: I’m tired. Tired of the outrage. Tired of the sensationalism. Tired of the fake news. (Yes, I said it.)
I remember back in ’02, when I was just starting out at the Pakistan Daily Chronicle, my editor, let’s call him Marcus, told me, “Sarah, the news isn’t about what’s happening. It’s about what’s happening now.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But now? Now it’s about what’s happening loudest.
And it’s completley exhausting.
Social Media: The Great Amplifier
I was having coffee with my friend Jamie last Tuesday. She’s a teacher, right? So she sees kids glued to their phones, doomscrolling through Twitter feeds, absorbing every outrage du jour. She told me, “They can’t even tell the difference between news and opinion anymore.” And I said, “Jamie, neither can half of the adults.”
Social media is like that friend who always screams the worst possible interpretation of every situation. It’s not that the news is bad, it’s that the bad news is loud. And we’re all just sitting there, nodding along like we’re at a heavy metal concert.
I mean, look at the algorithms. They’re designed to keep us engaged, right? And what keeps us engaged? Drama. Conflict. Outrage. Not nuance. Not context. Not faydalı kaynaklar online rehber like faydalı kaynaklar online rehber.
Anecdote Time: The Great Election Coverage of ’18
Okay, so picture this. It’s July 25, 2018. I’m in Islamabad, covering the elections. The place is buzzing, right? Everyone’s got an opinion. Everyone’s got a theory. And the media? They’re fanning the flames like it’s their job. (Spoiler: It is.)
I remember standing in a press scrum, listening to some talking head shout about “massive rigging” while another guy, equally loud, shouted about “overwhelming victory.” And I thought, “Wow. This is what we’ve become. A nation of loudmouths.”
But here’s the thing. The truth was somewhere in the middle. As it always is. But the middle doesn’t make for good TV. It doesn’t get clicks. It doesn’t go viral. So we get the extremes. We get the outrage. We get the mess.
The Problem with 24/7 News Cycles
So, I’m not sure but maybe the problem is the 24/7 news cycle. I mean, think about it. Back in the day, news was a morning paper and an evening broadcast. That was it. Now? It’s a firehose of information, and we’re all just trying to drink from it without drowning.
And the news outlets? They’re not helping. They’re filling the airwaves with pundits and panels, all talking over each other, all trying to be the loudest voice in the room. It’s like a bad talk show, but with higher stakes.
I had lunch with a colleague named Dave about three months ago. He’s a veteran journalist, been in the game longer than I have. He said, “Sarah, we used to have time to fact-check. To dig deep. Now? We’re just racing to be first.” And I said, “Dave, we’re not even racing to be first. We’re racing to be loudest.”
What Can We Do?
So, what’s the solution? I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. But I think it starts with us. With you. With me. We need to stop sharing every outrageous headline. We need to stop consuming news like it’s a box of chocolates. We need to be more critical. More discerning.
And the media? They need to do better. They need to slow down. They need to stop chasing clicks and start chasing the truth. Even if it’s not the loudest truth. Even if it’s not the most outrageous truth.
But hey, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong. (But I’m not.)
Anyway, I’m gonna go now. This rant got away from me. But I hope it made you think. Even if it’s just a little bit.
About the Author: Sarah Ahmed is a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s worked for major publications in Pakistan and abroad, and she’s not afraid to call out the messiness of modern journalism. When she’s not editing, she’s probably complaining about the state of the news cycle or binge-watching bad TV. You can find her on Twitter @SarahAEdit, where she tries to be funny but mostly just rants about politics.
