Catchy headline or clickbait? The constant challenge for journalists

The need to create catchy headlines is not a new concept and existed far before social media. Social media has exponentially added to this dilemma, with so much information available to the reader who often has limited time to explore the news. Journalists face a dilemma to provide a truthful headline that reflects the article, yet one that will capture the reader’s attention. It is a fine line that often results in clickbait- headlines that over-promise and under deliver.

In many conversations, clickbait is a new four-letter word- negatively associated to a reader being tricked to click on a story that over promises and under delivers. The concern for journalists is simple- you want to lure them in without leaving them angry with the response. If your headline does not stand out, it is likely it can be passed over for one that does.

We generally know it’s clickbait, yet, we cannot resist. The desire to know the answer or see what could possibly be SO SHOCKING YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT, well, we simply must know.

Some argue that it is a psychology trick, one that our brain will not allow us to leave the thought unfinished. When the headline leaves us in a cliffhanger, exploiting the idea that our brains process information in a closed loop. This video explains this theory further:

Still unsure what we mean by clickbait? Click here and you WON’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! (Actually it’s just a quick video laughing at really bad clickbait…but I couldn’t resist.)

Many worry about the dumbing down of what is being presented in headlines, all in an effort to get clicks rather than to serve the public by providing news.

Some find humor in the mission to shoot down clickbait by answering the question for you, such as @SavedYouAClick or @FilmClickbait:

Journalists have a tough challenge, with the quantity of headlines and media content on social media being far more than we can consume. This creates the need to stand out in order to get clicks and to generate revenue in one way or another. However, at what point will it cost them to lose the trust of their audience? It’s an ongoing dilemma, and one that is likely to continue debate in the years to come.

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