po polsku
illustration: DALL-EHeadlines 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
Video market in Asia. Traditional media companies in retreat
KFi
The Asian video market will reach a value of 15 billion dollars. Investments are moving to streaming and cinema. Sports broadcasts and local films drive growth. Media Partners Asia presented the report "Asia Video Content Dynamics 2026".
Information laundering. Russian propaganda returns as news from China
KFi
Russian intelligence agencies use complex tactics to mask the primary source of their harmful narratives. Patrycja Krzyśpiak from NASK details this dangerous process of information laundering in a recent report.
Health disinformation on the internet. Diagnosis from an algorithm
Katarzyna Czechowicz
Health disinformation can cause a cancer patient to see a doctor when it is too late for effective treatment. It can also undermine trust in doctors and public institutions. As a result, people may refuse to cooperate even during a real external threat, experts warn.
See articles on a similar topic:
Fake News and Disinformation in Poland. Scale, Impact and Future
Bartłomiej Dwornik
Where do the sources of disinformation lie, and how large is the scale of this wave? Why are we so susceptible to false information, and what role do traditional media play in this puzzle? Let’s shed some light on these issues and face the question: can the battle against the flood of disinformation still be won?
Repression Against Media: Committee to Protect Journalists Report for 2024
Krzysztof Fiedorek
In 2024, at least 361 journalists worldwide were imprisoned, often for exposing the truth. In China, reporters are tracked using advanced facial recognition systems, in Israel, Palestinian journalists are jailed without trial, and in Myanmar, journalist Shin Daewe received a life sentence for... a drone.
Journalism and Technology. How Indian Newspapers Fight to Survive
KFi
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transformation of India's press industry. Traditional print media, forced to fight for survival, adopted modern technologies ranging from data analysis to artificial intelligence. How do journalists adapt to new roles, and how do media redefine their future in the digital age? Researchers from the Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication have explored these questions.
Who trusts articles written by artificial intelligence? Results of a study from China
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Young readers trust machines more than human writers. When they consume news, they prefer the cool objectivity of algorithms over human emotions. They believe that articles created by AI are objective. As they interact with these texts more frequently, they rarely notice any harmful biases in them.
