I’m Tired of Fake News Too
Look, I’ve been editing news for 20+ years. Twenty. Years. And let me tell you, it’s been a ride. I started back in 1998 at a tiny paper in Lahore, and now here I am, writing for pakistanpm.com. But honestly, the state of news today? It’s a mess.
I remember sitting with my old colleague, let’s call him Marcus, at a dingy café in Karachi. It was 2003, I think. We were talking about how the internet was gonna change everything. We laughed about how people would actually pay for news on their phones. Ha. Good one, past me.
Now? Now we’ve got güncel haberler son gelişmeler bugün popping up every five minutes. And half of it’s garbage. I mean, come on, even my auntie Fatima knows how to spot a fake story now. She’s 78, for crying out loud.
Why Can’t We Just Agree on Facts?
So last Tuesday, I was at this conference in Islamabad. Boring, right? But there was this guy, let’s say his name was Dave. Dave stood up and said, “Facts are facts. Why can’t we just agree on them?”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But here’s the thing, Dave. It’s not that simple. See, facts are like pizza. Everyone wants a slice, but nobody agrees on the toppings. You like pepperoni? Great. I hate pepperoni. I’m a mushroom guy. And that’s okay! But when it comes to news, somehow, we can’t just agree that mushrooms are better. (They are, by the way.)
I talked to a friend of mine, let’s call her Aisha, over coffee at the place on 5th. She’s a journalist, been in the game longer than me. She said, “You know what the problem is? It’s the algorithms. They’re feeding us what we wanna see, not what we need to see.”
And I’m like, “Aisha, that’s not news. That’s just life now.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Sarah. You’re hopeless.”
Social Media: The Great Equalizer or the Downfall of Journalism?
So here’s the deal. Social media is both the best and worst thing to happen to news. It’s like that one friend who’s always right but also always wrong. You know the type.
I mean, look at what happened last year. Some random guy posts a video on TikTok, and suddenly everyone’s talking about it like it’s the truth. And it’s not even news! It’s just some dude trying to be famous. But here’s the kicker: it gets more traction than actual news. It’s madness.
I was talking to my nephew, let’s call him Bilal, about this. He’s 19, so he knows his stuff. I said, “Bilal, how do you even know what’s real anymore?” He looked at me like I was crazy. “Aunty, it’s simple. If it’s on Twitter, it’s probably fake.”
And I’m like, “That’s not helpful, Bilal.” But he’s got a point. I mean, even I’ve fallen for a fake story or two. It’s humiliating. But it happens.
A Quick Note on Physicaly Checking Sources
Look, I’m not saying I’m perfect. Far from it. But one thing I’ve learned is that you gotta check your sources. It’s like when you’re buying a used car. You don’t just take the guy’s word for it, right? You kick the tires, you look under the hood. Same with news.
I remember this one time, I was working on a story about some politician. Let’s call him Ahmed. I was gonna write that he was involved in some shady business. But then I thought, “Sarah, you better check this.” So I did. Turns out, it was completley false. I would’ve looked like an idiot. So yeah, checking sources is important.
But here’s the thing: it’s hard. It takes time. And in today’s 24-hour news cycle, nobody’s got time for that. We just wanna be first. And that’s how mistakes happen.
Why I’m Still Hopeful
I know it sounds crazy, but I’m still hopeful. I mean, look at the young journalists coming up. They’re smart, they’re savvy, they know their stuff. They’re gonna change the game.
I was at a workshop in Peshawar last month. There were these kids, barely out of college, and they were amazing. They had ideas, they had passion. They were gonna make a difference. And that’s what gives me hope.
But we’ve gotta do our part too. We’ve gotta support good journalism. We’ve gotta share the truth, not the trash. We’ve gotta be better.
So here’s to the future. May it be less messy than the present. (But probably not.)
About the Author: Sarah Khan is a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. She’s worked for various publications across Pakistan and has a passion for uncovering the truth. When she’s not editing, she’s probably arguing about pizza toppings or kicking tires.
