Confessions of a Clickbait Enabler
Look, I’m gonna come out and say it: I’ve enabled clickbait. And not just once, but alot over my 20-year career in journalism. I’m not proud of it, but it’s true. I’ve written headlines that were more about getting clicks than informing readers. And I’m not alone.
It started innocently enough. Back in 2003, I was a young reporter at a small newspaper in Austin. My editor, let’s call him Marcus, told me, “You gotta write headlines that grab attention.” I thought I knew what he meant. I thought I was being clever. But really, I was just learning the game.
Fast forward to today. I’m a senior editor at a major publication, and I still see it happening. We all do it. We write headlines that are more about the click than the content. We use numbers in headlines because studies show they get more clicks. We use questions because they create curiosity gaps. We use exclamation points because they create a sense of urgency.
And it’s not just the headlines. It’s the content too. We write stories that are more about the drama than the facts. We use sensational language because it gets more shares. We focus on the most extreme examples because they get more attention.
But Here’s the Thing…
We’re not bad people. We’re not trying to mislead our readers. We’re just trying to do our jobs. And in today’s media environment, that means getting clicks. It means getting shares. It means getting attention.
But at what cost? We’re contributing to a culture of misinformation. We’re contributing to a culture of outrage. We’re contributing to a culture where facts don’t matter as much as feelings.
I was having coffee with a colleague named Dave last Tuesday. He said, “We’re not journalists anymore. We’re content creators.” I asked, “What’s the difference?” He told me, “Journalists inform. Content creators entertain.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
The Designer Brands Comparison Review
Speaking of entertainment, have you seen the designer brands comparison review going around? It’s a great example of what we’re talking about. The headline is “You Won’t Believe What Happened When We Compared These Designer Brands!” It’s all about the click. It’s all about the entertainment. It’s not about the information.
But here’s the thing: that’s what people want. They want to be entertained. They want to be shocked. They want to be outraged. And as long as we’re in the business of giving them what they want, we’re gonna keep enabling clickbait.
A Personal Anecdote
About three months ago, I was at a conference in Austin. I was on a panel about the future of journalism. One of the other panelists, let’s call her Sarah, said, “We need to stop chasing clicks. We need to start informing again.” I thought, “Amen, sister.” But then I looked at my own publication’s website. And I saw headline after headline that was more about the click than the information.
And that’s the problem. We know what we should be doing. We know we should be informing. We know we should be educating. We know we should be holding power to account. But we’re not. Because it’s easier to write a headline that gets clicks. Because it’s easier to write a story that gets shares. Because it’s easier to write content that gets attention.
The Way Forward
So what do we do? How do we break the cycle? I’m not sure. But I know it starts with admitting we have a problem. It starts with admitting that we’re all guilty of enabling clickbait. It starts with admitting that we’re all guilty of prioritizing clicks over information.
It’s gonna be hard. It’s gonna take committment. It’s gonna take a completley new way of thinking. But it’s necesary. Because the alternative is a media landscape where facts don’t matter. Where information is secondary to entertainment. Where journalism is just another form of content creation.
And that’s a future I’m not willing to accept. Are you?
About the Author: I’m Jane Doe, a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. I’ve worked at some of the biggest publications in the world, and I’ve seen it all. I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. But I’m always willing to admit when I’m wrong. And I’m always willing to fight for a better future for journalism.
I live in Austin with my cat, Whiskers. I love coffee, books, and long walks. I hate clickbait, misinformation, and bad journalism. I’m passionate about holding power to account and giving a voice to the voiceless.
You can find me on Twitter at @janedoe or email me at jane.doe@thailandenews.com. I’m always open to a good conversation.
