News media identity crisis

When I open a web browser the stories that would pop up used to be important. In 2023, it seems the top news story is about news reporters at ABC having an affair. I don’t understand how we got here.

When news professionals become the news itself, we are in trouble. Today, we have access to the most amount of information we have ever had yet at the same time, I don’t feel informed.

Last week, the big story was a Chinese balloon floating across the country before being shot down by a fighter jet. How the story was covered is a perfect example of where we are in news. Some photos of the balloon were from media companies like a newspaper. Others were from individuals who happened to record a good look at it. Coverage of the balloon was more about the politics of the matter instead of what the balloon was actually doing.

For example, I would like to know what the balloon did that Google Earth can’t already tell you. Not about which political party is more manly against China.

The ABC reporter scandal is in a similar boat. I don’t want to know all the scandalous details of an affair between anchors. All it does is give ammunition to those who think the media is full of fake news. It makes people think that scandals happen at all media companies. Needless to say, they don’t.

For the moment, the best advice is to not get caught up in coverage that does not matter. To do that it just takes some time.

Nathan Pace is the Sports Editor of the Greene County Daily World and can be reached at npace@gcdailyworld.com. His "Low Budget Sports Show" airs weekly on Facebook Live."