Use of clickbait in the online news media of the 28 EU member countries

Abstract

This article offers an analysis of “clickbait”, one of the latest strategies employed by online news media to lure users into clicking a hyperlink through the use of non-journalistic values. Methods. The study is based on the analysis of the news headlines found on the front and inner pages of general-information newspapers of the 28 EU member countries. Results. The main consequence of the use of clickbait is that the news headline has gone from being just a key element to provide information to also crucial element to persuade the reader to stay on the page for as long as possible. Discussion. The results confirm the presence of clickbait in most of the newspapers analysed, to the detriment of traditional journalistic values in the writing and editing of headlines. Conclusions. The study concludes that general-information newspapers in the 28 EU member countries generate clicks not through quality content but rather, in nearly half the cases, through catchy, provocative and sensationalist front-page headlines that aim to exploit the curiosity in users