What Is "Clickbait"?

Comments

Easy answer: its a polemic, not analytic, term.

Alden on March 23, 2015 at 1:27 PM

I've taken clickbait to mean articles that are often sensationalized in the title or are focus on "controversial" subjects to draw attention rather than inform. The example of the woman and her earrings, if the title had been "Disney wouldn't let me enter with my $4.99 earrings" nobody would have cared. But by adding a vaccine element with the "exposed thousands to measles" the article baits people to read what turns out to be a rant about a Disney employee.

Or think of the Kardashians as the ultimate click-baiters, where you can't help but feel everything they do in public is a facade designed to draw attention (New sideboob! Sheer Dress, NO BRA! Kim's Fairy Tale Wedding! Divorced after 72 Days!)

unknown_entity on March 23, 2015 at 1:46 PM

But "Disneyland" didn't find her earrings threatening, only one security guard who was quickly overruled. I thought I was going to read about how she and her family were kicked out of the park, but instead I found an over-inflated non-issue.

To me Clickbait is anything that exists primarily to generate clicks. In addition to misleading headlines, it also includes those silly "25 cars we wished were still being produced" bits, each one of which requires a click to see.

I like to think I've gotten smarter about avoiding the bait, but sometimes I still get fooled…like the Disneyland story.

RDPence on March 23, 2015 at 1:47 PM

Christopher, I think it is now often used as the publishing of posts/articles that are purposefully very controversial, so as to spur a strong reaction on both sides. Cynics would view it as a method to primarily generate page-views rather than start an honest debate.

I think the whole 'wish the abused child would have suffered more' in the Boudinot article especially contributed to people calling it clickbait. It's obviously excessive, possibly a joke in poor taste, not truly germane to the author's point, and provokes a strong reaction for many.

While I agree your definition is correct, the phrase's broader usage has somewhat changed.

deign_to_say on March 23, 2015 at 1:53 PM

Holy fuck Christopher. You keep throwing more fuel on the fire. Just drop it and quit acting like a fucking victim.

ourkind on March 23, 2015 at 2:10 PM

In the words of Justice Potter Stewart,

"I know it when I see it."

MiddlePerson on March 23, 2015 at 2:20 PM

For Christ's sake Christopher, you're the editor-in-chief. This is like Kathleen O'Toole saying, "What is 'excessive' force, really."

People simply don't want to visit a page looking for information and close the page without it. If the lead isn't truly representative of the contents of the article, it is click bait.

an epicurean on March 23, 2015 at 2:28 PM

I wasn't a fan of the Boudinot piece, but Christopher's got a legitimate point here. I've also been put off by the new trend of calling every single person online who disagrees with you a "troll." Seattleblues & Bailo aren't trolls. They're ignorant, misinformed idiots, but not trolls. Don't trust me is a troll, at least as I've come to understand the term.

mikethehammer on March 23, 2015 at 2:33 PM

@6 don't seattletimes employees have better things to do than trolling here?

JonnoN on March 23, 2015 at 2:34 PM

Anything posted by Upworthy, no matter how laudable it seems on the surface.

camlux on March 23, 2015 at 2:39 PM

Jesus Christ,ust let it go; I'm never going to respond to your fucking Ello invite.

Banna on March 23, 2015 at 2:47 PM

Before I heard the term "clickbait," I was familiar with the term "(fill in the blank) bait." That is, a story that is likely to get a link and some commentary from a particular writer -- perhaps exclusively used when that writer has a significant online presence. For instance, a story about the arrest of a youth pastor on child porn charges is Savage-bait. A facial hair contest is Sully-bait. If there was a story about trees and race, it would be Mudede-bait.

midwaypete on March 23, 2015 at 2:56 PM

Virginia Woolf as clickbait, yes! Thanks for that glimpse of literary utopia, Christopher!

The Accidental Theologist on March 23, 2015 at 3:00 PM

(Here's the second half of comment 15)
With that in mind, I think of clickbait as something that's designed to get a reaction. Something that is going to provoke clicks. It can be a misleading headline, or a headline that oversells the story (Upworthy), but it can also be a headline that is sensationalized to grab the attention of readers who would otherwise skip an article, even if the story is more or less in keeping with that headline.

The MFA story was a strong headline, designed to provoke, but I don't think it fits my understanding of clickbait. The Disney headline was sensationalized in order to capitalize on the current uproar over vaccines. That one did tip my "clickbait meter."

midwaypete on March 23, 2015 at 3:04 PM

@17: "The Disney headline was sensationalized in order to capitalize on the current uproar over vaccines." Amen. Christopher, it seems like you're either really bad at judging what's "clickbait" and what's not, or you're being willfully obtuse. I think it's the second, and it's because actually trying to understand and eliminate clickbait headlines from The Stranger would require a complete overhaul of the paper's voice. When I read a juicy-sounding Stranger headline, I automatically say to myself "I wonder which part of this headline is false or misleading." I'm just accustomed to taking your headlines with a grain of salt. If you want to change that, change that. You're the fucking editor. But don't continue doing it and whine about being called on it. This "oh, I just don't understand what click-bait means" argument is pathetic.

beef rallard on March 23, 2015 at 3:21 PM

My personal definition of clickbait - is material FAR removed from primary information sources - usually without attribution. And in most cases, promoted by the stupid links "bla blah blah BLEW MY MIND!". But to me the primary attribute is the chain-letter (photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy....) nature of the information. I always block this stuff on Facebook when a link is shared from Upworthy, et al.

Karlheinz Arschbomber on March 23, 2015 at 3:32 PM

@17 Thanks for taking on the substance of the question. Interesting perspective on the Disneyland versus MFA headlines. Would you write an example of what a good headline on that Disneyland piece could have been? A headline that tries to communicate the contents of that piece? It goes in a lot of different directions, that essay, so it's not easy. You saw my best attempt.

Christopher Frizzelle on March 23, 2015 at 3:41 PM Stranger Staff

What is clickbait?

This article.

But you already knew that. It's why you wrote it, after all.

libertine on March 23, 2015 at 3:44 PM

For some strange reason, the only people who claim they don't understand what "clickbait" means are the people producing clickbait.

robotslave on March 23, 2015 at 3:50 PM

You know damn good and well what clickbait is, Christopher Frizzelle. Behind print advertising (perhaps), it's what pays the bills at the Stranger.

One definition, which is glaring by its omission in your bitter little fulmination here, comes from Wikipedia. It's the first result in Google for "clickbait." I doubt you missed it.

Clickbait is a pejorative term describing web content that is aimed at generating online advertising revenue, especially at the expense of quality or accuracy, relying on sensationalist headlines to attract click-throughs and to encourage forwarding of the material over online social networks.

The wiki entry goes on to mention the curiosity gap--which is being exploited all the time, sure, but isn't the main form of clickbait these days. No, the most common form of clickbait now is emotional arousal. The ability to enrage, sadden, or delight is makes people click headlines. The most unimaginative and least scrupulous writers for the web usually go for the first of the three options. It's easy to piss people off, and arguments feed page views.

Of course, you know this and your rant is disingenuous. Here's a tip: Take responsibility for the fact that your tempest escaped the teapot, and stop trolling your readers.

kitschnsync on March 23, 2015 at 3:59 PM

Woolf Clickbait:
- What You didn't know about Shakespeare's long-lost sister will blow you away! by Virginia Woolf
- Unbeleivable: A Boy Craves to go somewhere that looks like a Penis - by Virginia Woolf
Things
- This golden boy fell off this horse and you won't believe what happened next - by Virginia Woolf
- Three Things Women Can't Get Enough Of (Slideshow) - by Virginia Woolf
Incredible reasons Why this woman won't have sex with her husband - By Virginia Woolf
- What happened after this man woke up without a penis and will change your life forever - By Virginia Woolf

Jude Fawley on March 23, 2015 at 4:00 PM

The Boudinot piece was "clickbait" in that it promised, but did not deliver, meaningful insight into the value of the MFA. Despite some commenters who seemed to think "some people aren't very good writers" was something aspiring writers had never heard before, the piece was unoriginal in its criticism and the only comment-worthy claims it made were those specifically designed to provoke. I wouldn't actually call it clickbait, but the reason some might is that it was designed to stir up emotions while not really adding much of substance to the conversation.

elephantom on March 23, 2015 at 4:02 PM

real clickbait (tongue in cheek!):

https://www.facebook.com/estrangerseattl…

An FB page created by Goldy posting links to articles by former Stranger staff.

Article on it by Joel Connelly:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitic…

gnossos on March 23, 2015 at 4:08 PM

Clickbait is a headline (and a nuthed) that relies on the reader's imagination (and/or provokes it) rather than an accurate description of the content. Just about any hed with a question mark is click bait. Or any Salon article with Stephen Colbert in the hed. "Health Dept. cites International District restaurant 27 times in one year" is a standard hed. "Have you eaten at the filthiest restaurant in Seattle?" is clickbiat.

Paddy Mac on March 23, 2015 at 4:41 PM

Maybe Christopher can write a piece tomorrow asking what a shitty editor is.

seatackled on March 23, 2015 at 5:20 PM

@24 and 29 have it right. This post is a moebius strip of hypocrisy and feigned victimhood.

Knat on March 23, 2015 at 6:46 PM

Christopher, you're seriously likening Boudinot's toddler-temper-tantrum article to Virginia Woolf and Toni Morrison? This is almost as bad as that statement where Boudinot likens himself to the Charlie Hebdo writers.

Fuck off, and get yourself an editor to keep you from publishing asinine bullshit like this.

samsamsam on March 23, 2015 at 7:01 PM

It should be noted that Frizzelle is probably getting a lot of clicks and comments on all of these Boudinot-related articles. He probably thinks that this is proof that these articles are "edgy" and "promoting discussion." Don't make that mistake. Most of us are here because we're pissed off that our favorite alt paper is being taken over by a pair of toddlers who are rolling around in their own self-important shit. Frizzelle, you're the EDITOR. You're the one who is supposed to corral writer's when they do stupid-ass shit. So where is *your* editor to tell you how shallow these articles are?

samsamsam on March 23, 2015 at 7:08 PM

@32 (and everyone else who's saddened by the Stranger being run into the ground)

Did you see this?

seatackled on March 23, 2015 at 7:18 PM

@33

Oh, already done. See @27 above for the same.

seatackled on March 23, 2015 at 7:28 PM

Is it time to start a pool on the last day of Slog?

And where will the winner win recognition?

RonK, Seattle on March 23, 2015 at 7:53 PM

@35...well on the EStranger FB page of course. And in one day it's a grim reminder of how bad things have gotten here. I'm not placing bets on the last day as I'm guessing they're willing and able to hang on like some batshit crazy uncle in the attic for quite a while. But, man, watching the dementia take hold is really sad.

gnossos on March 23, 2015 at 9:54 PM

Wow, the first post to Goldy's estranger page was seven hours ago (presumably upon it's creation) and the page already has over 700 likes. Impressive. Some interesting looking reads there too. Just wish I didn't have to access them via facebook.

mikethehammer on March 23, 2015 at 10:15 PM

Ugh, enough already.

Amanda on March 23, 2015 at 10:31 PM

The essay "Disney wouldn't let me enter with my $4.99 earrings" was tangential, poorly organized, & generally a disappointing read, maybe that's why people dislike it. The earing objection did not happen around the same time as the measles outbreak & this might be why people call it click-bate--since the sub-title implies it is.
Speaking of click bait, you forgot to mention all the links shouting "______ doesn't want to you know about!", you know, the gun laws Obama doesn't want you to know about, the magical skinny pill doctors don't want you to know about. Or anything touting "this trick discovered by a mom"

let me go! on March 23, 2015 at 10:38 PM

So it's come to this.

JankyScraps on March 23, 2015 at 11:45 PM

Christopher wrote: "'Bait' is synonymous with 'decoy,' 'false thing,' 'bright shiny object I think is going to be yummy oh fuck a fishhook.'"

Wrong. Bait is not always a "false thing". People put real worms or bugs or whatnot on fishhooks. People put actual food in animal traps. Those aren't decoys. Those are the real thing. But consuming them lead to terrible consequences.

stinkbug on March 23, 2015 at 11:55 PM

@1 pretty much nails it.

The most irritating aspect of new internet journalism to me is headlines phrased in the second person for no reason.

Instead of "United States Negotiates Trade Deal" we get "Find Out All About the New Trade Deal the United States is Negotiating!" The Stranger does this all the time. It's not that these headlines are misleading per se, it's that they superfluous and ugly.

JPDarche on March 24, 2015 at 9:20 AM

well i've just about run out of popcorn and i hafta pee really really bad, so DEUCES !

reverend dr dj riz on March 24, 2015 at 11:00 AM

To me, clickbait is any headline that feels like it's been designed entirely with the goal of getting clicks. Any headline that follows certain common formats, including listicles, explicit promises regarding how the reader will react emotionally to the piece, and anything along the the lines of "how one mom" is clickbait even if it isn't misleading. "Curiosity gap" headlines that don't inform you what the article is about are also clickbait.

The bottom line is this: even when clickbait isn't misleading, it's still manipulative, and that's what I truly hate about it. I hate the way it insults my intelligence and cynically tries to shape my behavior to benefit the website. I hate the way that it degrades and infantilizes public discourse. I hate how fucking trashy it is. I know it's almost certainly here to stay, given the economics of online journalism, but I still wish it would go away.

Always east coaster on March 24, 2015 at 6:48 PM

@33: Thank you, that's news to me. Sadly, I do not have a FB account anymore, nor do I intend to create a new one just for this purpose.

Knat on March 25, 2015 at 8:53 PM

What Is "Clickbait"?

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