Have you ever read a headline while reading the news, whether it's considered a serious platform or not, where you truly question why someone would write a whole article dedicated to something so trivial? How is it possible today to see two articles side by side about two drastically different subjects like "Baby Found Amongst Rubble in Syria" right next to "Will Selena Gomez Ever Wear a Bra Again"? I understand that the world can't always focus on the negative aspects of life all the time but shouldn't we start to question how nitpicking an famous individual is a better news alternative?
I feel that "unnecessary" might be a bit subjective. I could be wrong, but it feels more like you want to critique the online news cycle and clickbait, as compared to print journalism standards. Some questions that could be asked: Who writes clickbait? Why is there a prevalence of clickbait articles on the internet? How has internet journalism changed which topics are highlighted by news websites? How has ad revenue impacted headline choices? And how do algorithms give very different headlines equal standing on any given website? – Eden5 years ago
I think it could be useful to explore where we draw the line between "Buzzfeed journalism" and "New York Times journalism" (for example). Are either one of these less legitimate than the other? In a world where SEM and SEO increasingly rule, and newsrooms are shrinking, which urge wins-- the urge to write material of quality and truth and intellect, or the urge to actually get people to read it and make a little money off of it? Is there a way to combine both? – haileyscomet5 years ago
Celebrity gossip is unnecessary. Who cares if the dress is black or white (or whatever it was) or who has broken up with whom?
On the other hand, it would be nice to see more articles about a hobby or genre of music or something. Interesting, but not stupid. – OkaNaimo08195 years ago
Everyday when I log onto Facebook, I see people sharing articles like "10 ways to get the man of your dreams," "Why you aren't happy," "The happiest couples do this to survive…"
These irk me. Articles like this are polluting your brain. People read these articles thinking, oh THAT'S why I'm not happy and THAT'S why our relationship is so bad. Whereas actual news articles or long, in depth articles do not get as much attention because they're not listed out in a way that people can read quickly and get advice about their lives…a comparison between the two.
The most important think to keep in mind when writing an article is 'Who is my audience?' The reason articles like Buzzfeed put stuff on Facebook it to get likes and to have them be shared. More in-depth articles, like content seen on The Artifice, are advertised on Facebook and Twitter, but like you said, they not shared as much as they are with entertaining articles. This is probably because entertaining articles are faster to read, while more in-depth articles take 10-20 minutes to ready, depending on the subject. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
How interesting! There's a couple of different directions I could see this topic going in. The author might want to focus on where certain types of articles are advertised, and why they're effective. It also could be discussed how, as you explained, entertaining articles cause people to have this mindset you describe, having an almost impulsive need to become happier people. What might turn someone on or off to entertaining articles, or to in-depth articles? Could in-depth articles also be just as toxic? – James Smith9 years ago
Can you reflect more on why the articles are irksome? Might there be some benefits to these lighter articles even if they are not deep or definitive? – jaa9n9 years ago
While it is easy to fall into the pit that is BuzzFeed, I do agree with how sad it is that the average media user cannot stick with a single piece of written content for more than a few sentences at a time. This is obviously a very frustrating ideal for you (among a lot of other people), so it might be hard to keep this from being a rant/stream of consciousness. I would love for this article to come to life, but be clear and descriptive about it! Why is BuzzFeed bad? What is it doing to society? Why are traditional long form articles like The-Artifice better/important! :) :) – madistyle949 years ago
I think would also help to consider the popularity of lifestyle blogs--those where the author tells of their experiences and give tips on a happier life. Their content is mainly entertainment, but also has a certain amount of depth as the author truly wants to help readers. – Fox9 years ago