Dear Online Publications: We Need Real Stories, Not Just IG Reposts

We need to talk about a little habit that’s spreading faster than cat videos on the internet: the repost craze. You know the one — publications copying content straight from an artist’s social media and calling it “exclusive reporting.” Spoiler alert: it’s not. Imagine scrolling your feed, seeing “Maglera Doe Boy drops new album,” and thinking, Yup, saw that on his page already… thanks for the groundbreaking news, I guess?

And there it is — the big question: then what?

The Great Engagement Vanish

Let’s be real. Nobody wants to read what they’ve already seen, reposted and regurgitated like a well-traveled meme. Yet, some entertainment sites keep serving these warmed-up leftovers, wondering why their engagement stats look like a sad graph meme. Newsflash: it’s not the algorithm’s fault; it’s the snooze-worthy content.

See, publications are meant to be like your cool friend who knows all the hot tea before anyone else. But when they keep repeating what we all saw on Instagram an hour ago, they’re more like that friend who just repeats your jokes back to you — without the punchline. The result? Clicks drop, comments vanish, and loyal readers peace out to find fresher content.

Back in my writing days, I realized one thing early: if you just parrot what’s already out there, you might as well be typing in invisible ink. So, I set out to do things differently. I didn’t just wait for the next big star to make headlines; I hunted them down before they even knew they were stars.

Picture this: Tman Xpress, the man whose sound would later echo through collaborations with Mellow & Sleazy and Kabza De Small — yeah, I wrote about him way before the fame train rolled in. Same with Lee Mckrazy, who, if you haven’t noticed, is now killing it as one of SA’s top vocalists. Two years before he was everywhere, I saw his potential and brought it to readers who craved something new and exciting.

Here’s what readers actually want: stories that make them feel like insiders, not just bystanders. They want the scoop behind the polished IG post, the untold story behind the album, and the essence of the artist beyond their curated online persona. And you can’t get that by reposting; you get that by digging deeper, by being brave enough to find the talent nobody’s talking about yet.

The publications that thrive are the ones that become the source of discovery — not just an echo chamber. They create content that sparks curiosity, makes readers say, “Wow, I didn’t know that!” or better yet, “I need to share this!”

So here’s a fun challenge for today’s writers and editors: go beyond the easy scroll and share. Find that underground artist, that emerging story that hasn’t had its moment yet. It might be the next Tman Xpress or Lee Mckrazy. Be the writer people quote, not the one endlessly reposting with a half-hearted “thoughts?”

It’s time to stop feeding the content recycling machine and start serving up something original. Because at the end of the day, if your readers are saying, “Saw that already,” you’re not creating; you’re just copying. And nobody remembers the copycats. Let’s bring back the stories worth reading — and sharing.