
Headlines on the internet have become longer, more negative, and surprisingly similar to clickbait. Research conducted by Pietro Nickl, Mehdi Moussaïd, and Philipp Lorenz-Spreen from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development shows that since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been a significant change in how online media headlines are constructed.
To analyze around 40 million headlines from four major English-language sources - The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times of India, and ABC News Australia, researchers used NLP methods, sentiment analysis, and regression models to detect language changes. The results were published in the article "The Evolution of Online News Headlines" in Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, revealing a clear trend toward more clickable, emotional content.
Longer and more emotional headlines
Over two decades, online media headlines have increased in length by an average of 25%. In 2000, a headline in The New York Times typically took the form of a short sentence fragment, like "Shell`s future in Nigeria in doubt." Today, they more often take the form of a complete sentence, similar to clickbait from Upworthy: "I`m No Supreme Court Expert, But I Kinda Think You Shouldn`t Be Able To Pay For This?".
The report shows that full sentences and questions are replacing traditional short headlines. This phenomenon is driven by growing competition for readers` attention online. Algorithms favor content that triggers reactions, such as clicks or shares, giving an advantage to longer and more emotional headlines.
Clickbait not just in tabloids
Interestingly, these changes are not limited to low-quality media. Researchers observed similar trends in high-reputation outlets like The Guardian and The New York Times. Negative headlines are now more common than positive ones, further emphasizing the dominance of emotion over facts.
- The number of headlines with a negative tone has increased by 30% over the past 20 years.
- More headlines include personal pronouns and questions to pique the reader`s curiosity.
- The number of headlines containing words like "why" and "how" is rising, indicating an attempt to draw readers into the narrative.
Algorithms and A/B strategies
Media are increasingly using A/B testing to optimize headlines. An example is Upworthy, which experimented with different variants to maximize click-through rates. From 2013 to 2015, this model dominated Facebook until the algorithm changed to favor more engaging content rather than mere clicks. As a result, clickbait-style headlines became somewhat less popular, although they are still widely used.
Although clickbait styling offers tangible benefits in terms of higher click numbers, it also raises ethical and social issues. It undermines trust in media and contributes to misinformation. Moreover, promoting negative content encourages social polarization, especially in media with extreme political sympathies.
Headline Features | Increase from 2000 to 2025 |
---|---|
Length (number of words) | +25% |
Negative wording | +30% |
Personal pronouns | +20% |
Questions and interrogative pronouns | +15% |
Research results indicate that these changes occur regardless of journalistic quality or political sympathies. This means that even reputable sources are adapting to the rules governing the online attention market, where the most engaging headlines prevail.
Can it be changed?
Experts believe that changing the algorithms that promote content on social media could solve the problem. An example is The Guardian, which placed a "Most Read" section next to "Most Shared" on its website, allowing users to make more informed choices.
A list of potential solutions includes:
- Increasing algorithm transparency on social media platforms.
- Media literacy education to help users distinguish reliable content from clickbait.
- Promoting socially valuable content rather than just visually appealing material.
Headlines on the web have ceased to be just information. They have become a product designed to sell emotions and clicks. While this trend may seem irreversible, it is essential to remember that changing algorithms could bring a more balanced approach to creating and consuming content online.
The research report "The Evolution of Online News Headlines" is available at
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-04514-7
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Media industry
Influencers and social video rule information. Digital News Report 2025
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Seconds of vertical clips set the future of news. TikTok, YouTube and an army of influencers pull viewers away from TV sets and newspaper pages. Whoever masters this new pulse seizes not only attention but also control of the story.
Cyberviolence and hate disguised as a joke. The RAYUELA report on youth
Krzysztof Fiedorek
The study conducted in five countries reveals a harsh truth. Online violence is not evenly distributed. It is a digital map of prejudice that hurts the most those who stand out the most. "It’s just a joke." That’s how violence often begins. Young people go through it in silence.
Trust in social media. Youtube beats TikTok and X
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Do we really trust social media? A new study reveals major differences in how top platforms are rated. Trust goes where there's authenticity, not just algorithms. The role of people is growing while brand influence is fading.
See articles on a similar topic:
Digital media addiction. Why the brain can’t cope
KFi
Digital media can hijack the brain's reward system in ways similar to drugs and alcohol, warned psychiatrist and author Anna Lembke. She emphasized that compulsive use of digital platforms can become a serious addiction. Not just a bad habit or risky behavior.
New Technologies in Journalism. PressInstitute Study
BARD
Nearly 39% of journalists use their smartphone or tablet camera to record videos, while over 26% use the built-in camera to take photos that they later publish, according to the "Journalists and New Technologies" study by PressInstitute.
Virtual Influencers Perceived as More Authentic than Real Ones
Agnieszka Kliks-Pudlik
Virtual influencers are fictional, generated characters that imitate the appearance and behaviour of real people. They have millions of followers. They are perceived by Gen-Alpha as even more authentic than real people, which creates many challenges, says Dr. Ada Florentyna Pawlak.
"No One Should Know the Truth" [DOCUMENTARY FILM]
BARD
According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, around 554 journalist detentions occurred in Belarus between August 2020 and July 2023. Criminal charges were brought against 73 media workers, and 33 of them remain in prison to this day.