Why I’m Over ‘Fake News’ Rants
Look, I’ve been in this game since the Clinton administration. I remember when the Rotorua News office had actual typewriters. (Yeah, I’m that old.)
And honestly? I’m tired. Tired of the ‘fake news’ nonsense. Tired of the screaming. Tired of people acting like news has always been some pristine, untouchable thing.
News has always been messy. Always.
My First Big Story
Let me tell you about 1998. I was a wet-behind-the-ears reporter in a small town called Millfield. Population: 8,243. Biggest story of the year? The annual bake-off. (Don’t laugh. It was a big deal.)
But then, one Tuesday, old man Jenkins down at the hardware store told me about some weird lights over by the old quarry. So, I did what any self-respecting journalist would do. I grabbed my notepad, jumped in my rusty Corolla, and drove out there.
Turns out, it was just kids with fireworks. But for a second? I thought I was gonna break the Millfield story of the century.
That’s the thing about news. It’s not always earth-shattering. Sometimes it’s just… lights in the sky.
The Internet Ruined Everything (And Fixed It)
Fast forward to the early 2000s. The internet happened. Suddenly, everyone’s a journalist. (Great. Just what we needed.)
I remember sitting in a diner with my colleague, Dave, about three months after blogs started blowing up. He said, ‘This is gonna be the end of us, Mark.’
I said, ‘Nah, Dave. It’s just more voices in the room.’
And you know what? I was right. (Don’t tell Dave I said that.)
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. No, because now we’ve got people sharing current events news summary posts without reading them. We’ve got algorithms pushing us into ideological corners. We’ve got… well, a mess.
Anecdote Time: The Time I Got It Wrong
Oh, and speaking of messes. Remember the Great Avocado Shortage of 2017? (No? Just me? Okay.)
I wrote a piece about how avocado prices were gonna stay high forever. Turns out, I was completley wrong. Prices dropped like a stone a few months later.
My editor, Linda, pulled me aside. She said, ‘Mark, you’re better than this. You gotta do better.’
And she was right. (Which honestly, nobody likes to admit.)
But here’s the thing: I put myself out there. I made a prediction. I was wrong. And that’s okay. Because news isn’t about being perfect. It’s about trying to make sense of the world.
Why I Still Believe in Journalism
So, why do I still do this? Why do I wake up at 4:30 AM to chase stories?
Because someone’s gotta.
I remember sitting in a conference in Austin a few years back. Listening to some hotshot tech bro talk about how AI was gonna replace journalists.
I laughed. Out loud. (Which honestly, probably wasn’t the most professional move.)
Because news isn’t about regurgitating facts. It’s about context. It’s about understanding. It’s about asking the right questions.
And yeah, sometimes it’s about avocados.
A Quick Note on Social Media
Oh, and social media? It’s a tool. That’s it. It’s not a news source. It’s not a truth-teller. It’s a tool.
Use it wisely. Or don’t. I’m not your mom.
Final Thoughts (Or Whatever)
So, here we are. In the middle of this big, messy, beautiful thing called news.
It’s not perfect. It’s not always right. But it’s ours.
And frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
About the Author: Mark Reynolds has been a journalist for 23 years. He’s covered everything from local town council meetings to international conferences. He’s made mistakes, won awards, and once interviewed a very confused celebrity at 11:30 PM outside a coffee shop. He currently serves as the senior editor at Rotorua News.
