Why you shouldn't read the news. They always want to create narratives and drama. And reshape how people see the world. Don't let journalists shape your view of the world.
Everything in context. This was written by a journalist who writes specifically about internet culture.[1] The job of a cultural writer or critic is to provide alternate ideas to help broaden and shape your view of the world.
This wasn't written by Woodward and Bernstein, or some hard-hitting give-me-the-facts-only political or business reporter. It's written by someone who specifically writes about culture. She writes the following:
> "Unless your story ties into some larger cultural trend, or holds some type of important wider significance, I am not interested in covering it. And frankly, it’s not newsworthy."
If the story being pitched doesn't tie into a larger cultural trend, it's not worth covering by a culture reporter.
Someone's success can be newsworthy, but it has to impact the larger culture to be relevant to a reporter who specifically writes about culture.
Comments on the article from other journalists position it as, "and we all feel this way." Whether or not it was intended as a representation of journalistic attitudes in general, it has been upheld as one by other journalists.
My favorite kind of article is "X happened, here are some relevant circumstances, author (or ppl author spoke with) think significance and possible consequences are Y"
Next favorite is "X happened" sometimes with a little context.
Least favorite "Here's some stuff about person Z who had some exciting circumstances C. Along they way Z invented / discovered X." Either finishing there or "X will transform society, rendering it unrecognizable within three years. Meanwhile, Z is considering becoming a vegetarian and is also getting married within those exciting three years."
Needless to say that least favorite is the most common. Even a listicle is better.
There is in my view quite a big difference in journalism culture around the world. I personally dislike the US style of every piece having to be a narrative before it gets to the meat of the story. Give me the news up front, then I can dive down deeper if I am interested.
This wasn't written by Woodward and Bernstein, or some hard-hitting give-me-the-facts-only political or business reporter. It's written by someone who specifically writes about culture. She writes the following:
> "Unless your story ties into some larger cultural trend, or holds some type of important wider significance, I am not interested in covering it. And frankly, it’s not newsworthy."
If the story being pitched doesn't tie into a larger cultural trend, it's not worth covering by a culture reporter.
Someone's success can be newsworthy, but it has to impact the larger culture to be relevant to a reporter who specifically writes about culture.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/by/taylor-lorenz