4 ms·

Put simply, social media and news exists to drive clicks. Once you understand that terrible news and completely misleading story titles drive clicks better than

by elamje 7y ago

Put simply, social media and news exists to drive clicks. Once you understand that terrible news and completely misleading story titles drive clicks better than anything else, you realize that there is almost no value in today’s news. When you are listening to a news anchor, or reading a story, ask yourself one simple question - “How is the organization maximizing profit off of this story?” Mainstream, advertising-supported, news sources will continue to devolve until everyone wises up.

InternetUser 7y ago
When do you think everyone will wise up? Like in what year?
- throwawayjava 7y ago
  s/click/viewers and the basic business model has been going strong for half a century. s/clicks/listeners and the basic business model has been going strong for just a little over a century. s/clicks/circulation and the basic business model has been going strong for at least a few centuries now. So, never. Or, more accurately, in about 20 years when "clicking" becomes an anachronism and someone will make this comment except it'll be: "s/taps/clicks and this has been going on for half a century"
  - dredmorbius 7y ago
    Mass circulation media date to the early 19th century, so approaching 200 years. Benjamin Day's Sun wasn't the first "penny-press" newspaper, but it transformed the concept, in 1833. Developments (and cost reductions) in printing and paper-making, as well as rapidly increasing literacy rates, climbing from 25% or lower around 1700 to 90%+ by 1900 throughout much of Europe and North America, also meant that prior to 1800 there really wasn't a mass-circulation media of any stripe, outside religious mass, and that there very much was one afterwards. Though yes, your observation that this has been going on for a while is valid.
asdff 7y ago
There is always going to be value on something that gets eyes pointed in a direction, whether it's a billboard, an influencer, a news story, or a blog post. If you want to really know what's going on, find a relevant academic journal.

by elamje 7y ago

InternetUser 7y ago

When do you think everyone will wise up? Like in what year?

throwawayjava 7y ago
s/click/viewers and the basic business model has been going strong for half a century. s/clicks/listeners and the basic business model has been going strong for just a little over a century. s/clicks/circulation and the basic business model has been going strong for at least a few centuries now. So, never. Or, more accurately, in about 20 years when "clicking" becomes an anachronism and someone will make this comment except it'll be: "s/taps/clicks and this has been going on for half a century"
- dredmorbius 7y ago
  Mass circulation media date to the early 19th century, so approaching 200 years. Benjamin Day's Sun wasn't the first "penny-press" newspaper, but it transformed the concept, in 1833. Developments (and cost reductions) in printing and paper-making, as well as rapidly increasing literacy rates, climbing from 25% or lower around 1700 to 90%+ by 1900 throughout much of Europe and North America, also meant that prior to 1800 there really wasn't a mass-circulation media of any stripe, outside religious mass, and that there very much was one afterwards. Though yes, your observation that this has been going on for a while is valid.

asdff 7y ago

There is always going to be value on something that gets eyes pointed in a direction, whether it's a billboard, an influencer, a news story, or a blog post. If you want to really know what's going on, find a relevant academic journal.