Anyone else getting tired of these headlines?

You see them in Google, Flipboard, etc. One I saw tonight: “College world reacts to stunning upset.” It was the USC-Oregon game. Or, “Sports world reacts to latest Tom Brady news” and it was him walking on the beach with his wife. Geez, are they tat desperate for clicks?

 

Yes.

 

"Russia invades neighboring country. See what happens next!"

 

HERE'S WHY

 

I have stopped clicking on those links, not that it matters.

The Spun, sportscasting.com, they can all eat a dick.

 

Regular newspapers do the same thing.

"State U. a finalist for this top recruit"

Don't dare say WHO did something or WHAT they did or WHERE or WHEN a game will be played ("Starting time, TV announced for Ole Miss-Arkansas game"). You know, what headlines once were supposed to do.

And HOW and WHY headlines don't tell you how and why. They're just regular stories wrapped in HOW and WHY headlines.

 

Ukraine DESTROYED Putin's army!

 

Try this one WEIRD trick to lose two bad headlines a day . . .

 

Yep. Former bosses thought this was great because it drove traffic and some engagement. I think it's a shitty way to sell your product, but they're still in the business and I'm out, so shrug.

At the grocery store you don't see a cereal box on the shelf with the front saying, "you won't believe what's inside."

 

The cereal box makers perfected their targeting techniques long ago.

https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1462&context=etd

 

The headline is as strong as the active verb that carries it. Quick-hitting verbs preferred.

Just like playing Shakespeare. Drive the fucking verbs.

 

This board reacts to annoying headlines