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
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.
Feminatives are not a given. How Polish women talk about their professions
SWPS
Polish women still rarely use female job titles. This comes from the latest report by the Center for Research on Social Relations at SWPS University. Women's professional activity proved to be a significant factor in using feminatives.
See articles on a similar topic:
The Podcast Market in Poland. Research by Wprost and Tandem Media
Krzysztof Fiedorek
How many Polish internet users listen to podcasts? Where and how do we listen? How and why do we choose episodes? Two major studies on this topic were recently released. One by Wprost, the other by Tandem Media from Agora Radio Group. We present both for data comparison and insights.
The most valuable female personal brands in Polish fashion. IMM report
KFi
The ten most popular people in Poland in the "fashion" category generate over 1.5 billion contacts across all types of media in a year. Their value is nearly 400 million zlotys. The ranking was prepared by the Institute of Media Monitoring for "Forbes Women" magazine.
Hate speech is contagious and leads to harm [EXPERT OPINION]
Karolina Kropiwiec
‘If we are in an environment where certain groups of people are insulted, there is a high probability that we will start using such language ourselves; hate speech is contagious and its consequence is someone's harm,’ says Dr. Michał Bilewicz from the Centre for Research on Prejudice at the University of Warsaw.
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.
