I’m frustrated.

Every day, headlines hit harder and faster and yet the noise blurs into background static. I can’t be the only one who feels this way.

Working in the media today feels like being caught in a storm with no shelter and I’m constantly asking myself, with today’s climate, has the press become complacent, or is it simply fighting for survival?

I work for the Houston Defender, an independent outlet that unapologetically prioritizes the needs and concerns of Black people. That grounding gives me perspective and a slight sense of relief. But I often wonder what my media associates at mainstream legacy outlets are experiencing.

They’re under a different kind of pressure, one shaped by corporate agendas, political intimidation and an industry in financial freefall.

What took me over the edge was the firing of longtime Washington Post writer Karen Attiah.

Attiah was the last Black reporter left in the Post’s Opinions department, and she says she was fired for speaking out against political violence, racial double standards and America’s apathy toward guns.

The Washington Post Guild itself condemned the decision, saying the paper “flagrantly disregarded standard disciplinary processes” and undermined its own commitment to free speech. Attiah’s offense? Posting about the hollow statements that follow political violence, the thoughts and prayers, the “we denounce violence” lines, when in reality, no real action follows.

What is the role of a reporter if not to state the facts and call out hypocrisy?

To me, this shows the dangerous direction the media is heading. Some outlets bend over backward to appease those in power. An administration that openly disrespects the press when this should be the time to plant our feet and resist. Instead, corporate media often seems more interested in protecting its brand than protecting the public’s right to the truth.

And it’s not just newspapers.

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on ABC was briefly pulled off the air after his remarks about the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. It was about control and avoiding backlash from the loudest voices in the room. Many people were in uproar to the point that millions canceled their Disney and Hulu subscriptions. The boycott had a financial impact on Disney, and fans speculate that it is why Kimmel is back on air.

The landscape is shifting, violently, under everyone’s feet. Reporters are caught between dwindling resources, hostile audiences, political pressure and economic disruption. The business model that once held journalism up is collapsing and in the scramble to stay afloat, quality often suffers.

Here’s what we’re really up against:

- Declining trust. Only about 31% of Americans say they trust the media. That lack of faith makes every story, every correction, every headline feel like a fight for credibility.

- Economic collapse. Newsrooms are shrinking. Layoffs are routine. Investigative reporting, the slow, expensive kind that holds power accountable, is disappearing.

- Clickbait culture. Ad revenue drives the game, so headlines are optimized for outrage rather than accuracy. Sensationalism wins more clicks, while context and substance are left behind.

- Polarization and echo chambers. Social media makes it too easy for people to consume only what confirms their biases. That doesn’t just divide audiences; it fractures our understanding of reality itself.

- Blurred lines. News, opinion and propaganda often mix, leaving people unsure what to believe or if they should believe anything at all.

And yet, there are reasons not to lose hope. The very fact that independent organizations like the Defender exist is proof that not all media is beholden to corporate interests. The rise of creator economy platforms like Substack and Patreon allows journalists to connect directly with their readers, sidestepping institutional gatekeepers.

Local outlets, though struggling, remain trusted lifelines for many communities. And some journalists — like Joy Reid, Don Lemon and Melissa Harris-Perry — still bring honesty and clarity in the middle of the chaos.

So, when people ask if the media is complacent, I say to an extent… no. Complacency implies a quiet acceptance. What I see instead is a battlefield. The industry is fractured, polarized and sometimes reckless. But many journalists are fighting harder than ever to keep the truth alive, even when it costs them their jobs.

For me, the frustration comes from watching too many outlets cave when they should resist. Journalism isn’t supposed to be comfortable for the public, for the government, or for the corporations that own the presses. It’s supposed to be disruptive. It’s supposed to challenge.

Right now, when democracy itself feels fragile, the last thing we can afford is a press that is cowering because of government or corporate fear tactics.

Laura Onyeneho is a multimedia journalist who reports on social, cultural, lifestyle, and community news for the Houston Defender.