AIBU The state of News Reporting

[dojacatforever]

Do you guys also find the 24 hour news cycle and how it has changed journalism, incredibly toxic?

It seems to encourage immediacy in reporting ahead of balance. Sometimes even at the expense of accuracy. The amount of times I've had a breaking news notification about a horrific event and then only one sentence of 'story' because they have prioritised reporting breaking news before waiting for substantial, balanced, facts is shocking.

I have found that even 'respected' media outlets in the UK have become more and more 'click-baity' in their headlines, in recent years. It's really disappointing and it makes me fear for the future of decent journalism. This is before we even get into the dire state of local journalism in the UK, which is rapidly becoming financially inviable to produce.

Any thoughts on this? AIBU? Would you prefer if the news delivery was less immediate but more balanced and less alarmist?

I completely agree with you. Radio news seems to be a little better, as they can't just rely on images.
I hate the way twitter has just become news as well.

Drop the Dead Donkey. Not so much a comedy as a prediction.

The number of times I am watching the proper news and get a Drop the Dead Donkey vibe... It's not funny.

I hoped they 24 hour news would mean they had time to go into the background of things and properly explain the history and the like. Nope, we just repeat the same shallow nonsense about serious events. And ignore other serious events.

There's no longer decent journalism in the UK

But if young people hone their communication skills from social media as we know it, there can never be hope for balanced journalism.

And nothing is ever contextualised.

When the horoscope is about as accurate as it gets then its time to switch off.

@hmmmmmminteresting
.
There is, but you have to pay for it.

Left wing, The New Statesman.
Right wing,The Spectator.
God only knows, Private Eye.

Yes, I totally agree.

I had a job once where I had CNN on in my office all day. It was right after they started their 24 hour news station and it was a new concept. It was horrible and the thing was - there was not more news. Just more bs.

It's also coincided with a real loss of standards of journalistic writing.

I agree though with the pp, there are some outlets tryig to keep up good work. Print generally, and you have to pay for them. But it's maybe worth prioritising. Television news has always been the most prone to spin and bias.

Really interesting replies from everyone!

Another angle of concern is the impact it (24 hour news, breaking news) has on mental health. I often think to myself, what is the point of receiving breaking news updates? What am I supposed to do with this? Why can’t it wait for a few hours before being reported so more facts can be properly established and it can be placed in context? I think this leads to increased feelings of anxiety and fear, even helplessness. Really bad things happen in the World - sure - but they could be reported in a far better way.