Another possibility: the demand for high quality journalism is as high, or higher, than it's ever been. But the demand for tabloid journalism is also higher tha

Another possibility: the demand for high quality journalism is as high, or higher, than it's ever been. But the demand for tabloid journalism is also higher than ever. It's easier than ever to graze on low quality, tabloid journalism -- "linkbait," if you will. Sensational headlines and puff pieces have always existed, and has always helped sell both tabloids and even more respected publications. But the web and social media make it easier to indulge in this sort of thing, and once you've clicked on one bit of linkbait -- or even a serious news story -- you're presented with a list of additional linkbaity stories. Given the high demand, and low cost to produce, it's little wonder we see more and more churnalism and linkbait.