There’s no “these days”. The point of headlines has always been to catch your attention. The only difference is they’re trying to get clicks, not sell a physical newspaper at a stand.
Not exactly, newspapers used to use the inverted pyramid style of writing where the most relevant and important facts were listed first and prominently starting with the headline. They were supposed to be as succinct as possible, because there was only so much space for print (space that could be used for ads).
With websites, extremely limited space is no longer a concern and the more long-winded and meandering an article, the more opportunities to serve up additional ads. While there were misleading and provocative headlines in print, clickbait journalism that uses obscured headlines and takes forever to get to the point is a distinctly new trend that is only viable because of the Internet.
Source: Have journalism degree and worked at newspapers as well as online publications.
Well, the thing is, it does because it’s a unique term that applies to a unique format that did not exist before. You’re probably thinking of something like tabloid journalism, which was/is also a disingenuous way of reporting designed to boost readership, but distinct from clickbait
Anyhow, it turns out I’m scheduled to do something other than argue with someone on the Internet: Have a good night!
You aren’t wrong though they could mention both that and the name, but headlines are largely written to drive clicks rather than to inform these days.
There’s no “these days”. The point of headlines has always been to catch your attention. The only difference is they’re trying to get clicks, not sell a physical newspaper at a stand.
Not exactly, newspapers used to use the inverted pyramid style of writing where the most relevant and important facts were listed first and prominently starting with the headline. They were supposed to be as succinct as possible, because there was only so much space for print (space that could be used for ads).
With websites, extremely limited space is no longer a concern and the more long-winded and meandering an article, the more opportunities to serve up additional ads. While there were misleading and provocative headlines in print, clickbait journalism that uses obscured headlines and takes forever to get to the point is a distinctly new trend that is only viable because of the Internet.
Source: Have journalism degree and worked at newspapers as well as online publications.
…with the primary purpose of getting you to buy the paper.
Just because clickbait has changed forms doesn’t mean it hasn’t always been around
Well, the thing is, it does because it’s a unique term that applies to a unique format that did not exist before. You’re probably thinking of something like tabloid journalism, which was/is also a disingenuous way of reporting designed to boost readership, but distinct from clickbait
Anyhow, it turns out I’m scheduled to do something other than argue with someone on the Internet: Have a good night!