Chase Monterey | Opinion
When “News” Turns Into Noise, Families Pay the Price
I think a lot of what gets labeled “Black news” online is less about helping communities and more about keeping people emotionally hooked. That matters because families can’t build stability on outrage cycles.
Chase Monterey is an SRN editorial contributor/persona where applicable. Opinion articles are reviewed by the Sports Rap Network editorial desk before publication.
I’m Chase Monterey, and I’m going to say something that might sound unpopular in the current media climate: a lot of “news” that targets any community—especially online—has become a noise machine. And when it’s loud enough, it starts to crowd out practical thinking, personal responsibility, and real solutions.
Here’s my opinion plainly: if the goal of Black-focused news is to inform and uplift, it should measure success by what it helps people do next—work, save, learn, build, and lead—not by how fast it can spark arguments in comment sections. When media content is designed to maximize outrage, it doesn’t just entertain; it trains people to react instead of plan.
The reason I feel strongly about this is simple: I’m a young father, and I live in the real world of schedules, bills, and consequences. Outrage is expensive. It drains energy that could go into coaching kids, improving skills, starting a side hustle, or handling the everyday logistics that keep a household steady. When people are constantly emotionally activated, they’re less likely to make disciplined decisions.
Now, I’m not dismissing the need for representation or for serious coverage of issues that affect Black Americans. People deserve to be seen, heard, and fairly reported on. But I also believe that every community—mine included—gets stronger when it focuses on outcomes, not just narratives. Business logic applies here: if a system keeps producing the same pain without producing clear steps forward, the system is failing.
That’s why I’m skeptical when “news” becomes entertainment. Entertainment is fine. But when you blur the line, you end up with a feed that rewards the most extreme takes. Outrage travels faster than nuance. It’s easier to post a hot take than to explain a policy tradeoff. It’s easier to blame than to build. And the people who benefit are often the ones selling attention, not the families trying to get ahead.
From a faith perspective, I’m Baptist, and I believe in responsibility. That doesn’t mean ignoring injustice or pretending problems don’t exist. It means we can’t let anger replace action. We should be able to care deeply about people and still insist on practical steps—community investment, job growth, education support, mentorship, and accountability at every level.
So why does this matter right now? Because the attention economy is turning daily life into a battlefield. People are exhausted. Parents are stressed. Employers are struggling to find reliable workers when everyone is mentally fried by constant conflict. And kids pick up on the tension. If a household runs on fear and frustration, that stress doesn’t stay in the phone—it shows up at home.
I also think there’s a bigger societal issue here: race gets used as the default explanation for everything, and that can keep people from seeing shared interests. I respect all people, and I’m not trying to make race the central dividing line. But when media keeps pushing the idea that every conversation must be framed as a permanent war, it blocks the kind of cooperation that actually solves problems. Communities need bridges, not just headlines.
To be clear, I’m not saying people shouldn’t talk about politics or culture. I’m saying the conversation should be accountable to reality. Ask questions like: What does this change for a family next week? Does it help someone find work? Does it improve schools? Does it reduce crime? Does it create safer neighborhoods? If the answer is no, then the content might be “news” in name only—it’s just a cycle.
If you want my bottom line, it’s this: media outlets that serve Black audiences should treat trust like a responsibility. Don’t just report what happened—show what can be done. And don’t just fuel anger—support stability. Because the real headline isn’t what someone tweeted or what someone argued. The real headline is whether families can breathe, plan, and move forward.
That’s why I believe we should demand more than noise. We should demand clarity, competence, and solutions you can use. When the focus shifts from outrage to action, communities don’t just feel heard—they get results.