The rise of the hall monitor: Why journalists are so unlikeable
By Easton Martin | December 2, 2025
There is a certain tone in much of the modern media that is hard to miss. Many journalists carry an air of superiority, as if they know better than everyone else. They rarely admit the possibility of being wrong and often approach their work as a way to expose others rather than to seek truth. Accuracy can become secondary to creating a story that serves their perspective.
Read any major outlet and it is easy to see. Reporters and commentators focus more on proving themselves right than on understanding the complexity of the world or sharing a diversity of opinion. They act like hall monitors, constantly watching and judging, calling out perceived mistakes with little humility or self-reflection.
News hasn’t always been this way. Sure, we’ve had tabloid writers, gossip columnists, and other unlikable types for a long time, but that hasn’t always been the dominant class. Now, major news outlets write with a tone of smug superiority, acting like arm-chair quarterbacks with nothing better to do than criticize every little thing that public figures do.
Humans naturally lean toward self-interest, and journalists are no exception. I have been guilty of this myself. The temptation to shape a story to fit one’s own viewpoint or to highlight drama is universal. Recognizing this tendency is important. The world does not revolve around a single perspective and truth requires openness and humility. What often happens is that journalists, writers, and bloggers get caught up in their own arrogance and self-congratulatory thinking patterns.
The result is a widespread perception of arrogance. People do not simply reject the stories they see. They reject the tone and the attitude, the sense that journalists believe they are always right. If the media is to rebuild credibility, it must embrace humility. Questioning and a commitment to truth over ego are essential. Until then, journalism will remain the hall monitor that audiences find unlikeable.
