News Health: It’s supposed to be better than this

Happy Sunday,

“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” 

Romans 12:2

The news ain’t what it used to be.

For decades, focus groups told news orgs that they wanted thoughtful, balanced, long-form pieces on important topics. Then the internet came along and revealed what people actually click on… and, well… it turns out we’re less sophisticated than we thought.

Today’s biggest media orgs followed the data, and now largely provide personality-driven, entertainment-infused news coverage designed to evoke big emotions (fear, anger, lust).

And I’ll say it: That’s frustrating. 

The news is supposed to be better than that; it’s supposed to care about the truth more than clicks; it’s supposed to be fair; it’s supposed to make me a more informed and thoughtful person. 

It’s supposed to be… but it isn’t. So, where do we go from here?

I see two options:

1. The news needs to change

2. Our relationship with the news needs to change

My first instinct was to focus on #1. It’s why I started The Pour Over—first as a personal exercise, and now as a resource for others. While I believe it's deeply necessary for organizations to fix how they report the news (like The Pour Over), I also think training people on #2 is even more impactful.

Even if every news outlet gets worse—offering only incomplete, biased, half-truths—your relationship with the news can get better. And the people around you can get better too.

This week, take stock of how others discuss current events. Is it constant? Rare? Are they stressed? Excited? Discouraged? Are they speaking kindly? Rudely? And, is talking with you making things better, or worse?  

Final question: What if Christians became excellent at using conversations about the news to build others up, reflect confidence in God, and radiate the love, hope, and joy of Christ? 

In Christ,
Jason

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