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Even when stories aren’t made up there seem to be a clear focus on generating attention, because our attention is the real product on free news. That’s had a so
by return-value 8y ago
Even when stories aren’t made up there seem to be a clear focus on generating attention, because our attention is the real product on free news. That’s had a social media effect on news, and much like our Instagram profiles, it’s so heavily edited, that truth has lost its place, even when people aren’t intentionally lying. Obviously there is a difference, but I think it’s getting smaller by the minute.
This is exactly why I pay for news. Because fake or not, my attention is worth more to me than what everyone of the free media outlets are giving me in return.
I have a subscription to a news paper, that only comes out once a week and only has paid content. By only coming out once a week, I get the added benefit of its content being the digested sum of what actually mattered. If something dramatic happens, that I can’t wait to read about, I’ll turn on public service.
The only area where I’m not doing this is in tech, but tech news aren’t really important.
I do feel sorry for the author, I know the guilty learn not to feel guilty, but lying for a living must be absolutely terrible in the long run.
- huling0 8y agoCare to share what weekly subscription newspaper you read?
- return-value 8y agoSure, it’s danish though, called Weekendavisen. Until earlier this year it didn’t have digital news, they do have a digital edition now, but I’ve never used it.
- rahimnathwani 8y agoWhich weekly newspaper? I'd love a recommendation. For me, this used to be The Economist, but either the quality of their journalism has gone down, or I've become better informed and thereby also more discerning.
- pas 8y agoCould you please point to pieces by The Economist that made you unsubscribe?
- rahimnathwani 8y agoSorry, it's been a while (over a year) and I don't feel like resubscribing just to find examples to support my point. But, pas, if you work for The Economist in an editorial position, and are asking because you want to take action based on feedback, then feel free to contact me via email.
- pas 8y agoI'm just a curious bystander, I'm of course interested in the actual piece, but much more so in your recollection of their errors/faults/misdeeds/inaccuracies.
- tjoff 8y agoI feel this attention seeking has infected everything though. Even these subscription also realize that you are more likely to pay if they have your attention (and feel they must constantly remind you how awesome they are and that you couldn't live without them). In the end it doesn't really matter if you pay with money or ads. And with news subscriptions you very often don't even get rid of ads if you pay so those incentives are still at play. Yes there are nuances and exceptions but this is a trend that deeply saddens me.
- EvilMonkeyMat 8y agoI caught myself writing way too intense titles when sharing very legitimate stuff on Reddit for that same reason. I keep telling myself that if my title is "just normal", nobody will take a look at what I'm sharing... when it's probably the opposite.
- devxpy 8y ago> but tech news aren’t really important. I thought this was hackernews...
- nemild 8y agoI write a media literacy guide, and this is the key takeaway. Engagement is king, and social media seems to exacerbate this effect. https://github.com/nemild/hack-the-media https://github.com/nemild/hack-the-media
- bobbygoodlatte 8y agoThe challenge is that while you and I pay for reliable news, the majority of people seem to prefer not paying for news. And those people vote