I want to talk about NewsBreak because this is something I have been noticing for a long time, and at this point, I really feel like the platform has completely changed from what many people originally downloaded it for. When NewsBreak first became popular, one of the things that made it useful was being able to open the app and find out what was happening in your local community. You could see local stories, important updates, and information that you may not have heard about anywhere else. That was the whole reason I was interested in NewsBreak in the first place. I wanted news. I wanted to know what was happening around me and what was happening in the world.

But over time, I started noticing something completely different. Instead of feeling like I was opening a news app, it started feeling more like I was opening another version of Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. I’m seeing videos, jokes, people posing in front of cameras, viral content, arguments, and things that really don’t tell me anything about what is happening in my community. My question is simple: If I wanted that type of content, why wouldn’t I just go to YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok? When I open something called NewsBreak, I expect the news.

Another thing that really bothers me is what happened with the contributors. There was a time when NewsBreak had some really good writers. These were people who actually took time to write stories, talk about issues affecting different communities, and bring attention to subjects that people weren’t necessarily hearing about from larger media outlets. You had writers discussing community issues, health topics, Black communities, LGBTQ issues, and many other subjects. Whether you agreed with every writer or not, at least people were writing and bringing conversations to the table.

That’s why I don’t understand how you can move away from people who were actually producing written content and then fill people’s feeds with videos that sometimes have very little to do with actual journalism. I’m not saying NewsBreak doesn’t have legitimate news anymore because it does. My issue is what seems to be getting pushed and promoted. There is a difference between having entertainment somewhere on your platform and allowing entertainment-style content to become so dominant that people start questioning what kind of platform they’re even using.

And we also have to talk about reactions, clicks, comments, and advertising. This is something that has happened across media in general. Sometimes it feels like getting a reaction has become more important than informing people. The more outrageous something is, the more people argue underneath it. The more people argue, the more engagement it receives. But when everything becomes about engagement, where does journalism fit into that? Where do facts fit into that? Where does simply informing the public fit into that?

I also think independent writers deserve a lot more respect than they receive. There are talented people writing on platforms like Medium and independent community websites who are passionate about what they do. Some of these writers spend hours researching, writing, editing, and trying to bring information to people, yet it can be incredibly difficult for independent writers to build an audience or make consistent money from their work. Meanwhile, the internet rewards a 30-second viral clip because thousands of people reacted to it.

That’s also one of the reasons I believe platforms like Kingdom Influence Media are important. There needs to be room on the internet for people to actually discuss stories, share opinions, talk about what is happening, and give different perspectives instead of everything being reduced to whatever gets the biggest reaction. There should still be places where somebody can sit down, write what they think, explain why they think it, and allow other people to have a real conversation about it.

For me personally, NewsBreak eventually became so frustrating that I removed the app. I wasn’t getting the experience I originally wanted from it anymore. I could follow certain topics and try to control what I was seeing, but I would still come across content that made me wonder, “What does this have to do with news?” Eventually, I reached the point where I didn’t want to keep sorting through everything just to find the information I originally downloaded the app to receive.

The part I find especially unfortunate is that NewsBreak had an opportunity to become an incredible place for local journalism and independent writers. There are communities all across this country with stories that will never make national television. Independent contributors can help fill that gap. They can tell us what is happening in smaller communities, bring attention to overlooked issues, and give talented writers an opportunity to build their own brands.

When you build a platform with the help of creators, those creators become part of the reason people keep coming back. That is why contributors can feel frustrated when a platform changes direction after they helped provide the content that contributed to its growth. Writers aren’t just words on a screen. These are real people trying to build careers, support themselves, develop brands, and sometimes simply tell stories they believe people need to hear.

I know everybody isn’t going to agree with me about NewsBreak, and that’s perfectly fine. Some people may love what the app has become. But for those of us who remember opening it because we wanted straightforward local news and information, the difference is noticeable. I don’t need another TikTok. I don’t need another Instagram. I don’t need another YouTube. I need a news app to give me the news.

So I’m curious about everybody else’s experience. Do you still use NewsBreak? Do you think the quality has changed? Do you miss some of the independent contributors and writers who used to be on the platform? Or do you actually prefer the direction NewsBreak has taken? This is definitely something I think is worth discussing.