No, don’t ignore this newsletter because it is not clickbait…despite its headline.
Sensationalism! The word thrown around a lot to describe the news media, but many fall for it time and again. Really, we’ve all hit clickbait, tuned into hyped-up TV news reports and so on. We’ve all done it whether we admit it, or even like it, or not.
But the good news is, there’s a way to recognize if you’re falling for sensationalism, and the more you exercise this skill, the better you’ll get at it.
Take this newspaper headline for example:
Now what’s wrong here? Besides the big, bold words in all-caps, what is really wrong here? Doesn’t it seem like, with the choice of words, this headline is trying to scare anyone who sees it? Especially parents?
After all, no where does it say that it is “possible” or “likely” that TV and computers are giving kids cancer. And who are those docs mentioned in that sub-headline who are saying this about childhood cancer? Is what those docs say speculation on their part? Because if TV and computers were to give kids cancer, the way the medical field does it is by doing studies and having those studies peer-reviewed in order to prove their hypothesis. Having some doctor saying so if far from enough. And by the way, doesn’t sound like whatever doctors are saying this, they are not well-known or respected in their field? Just saying “docs” makes it seem like this claim is legit, but it may not be at all. Also, by including “craze” in the headline, just adds to the craziness, so to speak.
Many people unfortunately do not read past headlines - and that’s on them - so if any parent is worried that their kids spent too much time in front of the TV and other screens, this headline certainly would give them a good scare. However, chances are, if someone were to actually read the article, there will be more solid information about whether TV and computers gives children cancer.
If there is, of course, because sensationalism even goes beyond the headlines. In 2016, The Daily Dot, which has been ranked “high” for its factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check, though it has a noted left bias, ran a story that was making the rounds on other news websites about a Pennsylvanian teen who was against the federal government bathroom access policy for transgender people. Below is the headline:
That headline seems kind of confusing, right? How will she fail high school if she has transgender classmates? Notice the headline says “if”.
So, let’s read beyond the headline, and get to the bottom of this.
The article’s first paragraph says this:
Sigourney Coyle doesn’t have any transgender classmates that she knows of—nor has she even started her freshman year at Emmaus High School yet. But that didn’t stop her from speaking out against the theoretical concept of someday having a transgender classmate when she enters the Pennsylvania school this fall.
OK, what is going on here? Seems like The Daily Dot is looking to criticize this soon-to-be high schooler rather than just laying the facts and letting the readers decide for themselves.
It should be noted that other news outlets, both local and national, took a much less ridiculing approach to reporting on Sigourney Coyle. As per this Canadian blogger, Shannon McClennan-Taylor, who is a publicist and communications manger, had on her blog back in 2016:
For comparison I offer the following:
– August 24, BuzzFeed: “This Girl Says She’ll Fail Gym Class If Transgender Students Use Her Locker Room” (https://www.buzzfeed.com/davidmack/east-penn-transgender-change-room?utm_term=.smZgJ7qLP#.cnRORjzv1)
– August 25, Metro Weekly: “Pennsylvania teen says trans students in locker room will make her fail gym class” (http://www.metroweekly.com/2016/08/pennsylvania-teen-says-trans-students-locker-room-will-make-fail-gym-class/)
– August 26, Philly Voice: “Pa. teen says she’ll fail gym if forced to change with transgender students” (http://www.phillyvoice.com/pa-teen-says-shell-fail-gym-if-forced-change-transgender-students/)
– August 29, The Daily Dot: “Ninth grader says she’ll fail high school if she has transgender classmates” (http://www.dailydot.com/irl/teen-facebook-speech-trans-kids-gym-class/)
Wow, what did The Daily Dot do there? Why did they try to twist this story may creating a misleading, sensationalist headline? Was it to stand out from the competition? Was it creativity gone amuck?
Sometimes sensationalism is just that: an attempt to stand out from the competition - to get eyes, and sometimes ears, on the news report. Think of it as like advertising. Ads on the buses, trains, magazines, websites, and even commercials on TV, are designed to get consumers interested in buying a product. By use of specific colors, the size of letters, the specific of words being used, and maybe even sounds, these ads are part of a strategy to get people to buy a product. Heck, even signs in stores announcing a sale or a clearance are designed to get people to walk into a store and buy products so the company makes more money. Ever walk by a clothing store to see those big neon signs announcing a going-out-of-business sale? (there’s a lot of them these days) Did you walk in? If so, did you walk in because the sign said the store was going out of business, or because the sign used red, yellow, and black colors to get your attention and lure you in (be honest)?
Same with news headlines, lower-thirds, and bold voices from anchors. They are designed to get your attention so you would buy the magazine, click on the headline, or watch the TV news report. This way, the news organization behind it will make money to pay the journalists’ salary (which, believe it or not, are not very high on average). Is it unethical? Probably not, though there’s a debate on that. Come to think of it, there should also be a debate on ethical advertising when it comes to stores as well (damn you, Target).
But the reality is, it is really up to the audience to decipher whether or not something in the news is sensationalist or not. The more you are aware, the better you and many other will be, and the news business may just change. I mean, if sensationalism has been working for so long and people keep buying into it (pardon the pun), why stop?
Here’s some tips on how tell if something just doesn’t sound right. It’s called SMELL CRAP:
S - Source
M - Motivation
E - Evidence
L - Logic
L- Left Out
C - Current
R - Reliability
A - Authority
P - Purpose
With so much news sources out there, and with the Internet blurring the lines between fact and fiction, it is more vital than ever to learn how to decipher what news article, or even video, in front of you is trying to tell you.
In the meantime, please read beyond the headlines. After all, you made it this far, and clearly, we are not all going to die.
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A well thought out article. Thank you!