Why you should read beyond the headline

The purpose of a headline is to grab the reader’s attention and provide a brief summary of the article. Most Americans skim headlines without actually reading the details of the stories.

Headlines are not designed to capture all the nuances of a story, but they should not be false. Inaccurate headlines promote misinformation.

Some headlines are “clickbait.” 

Clickbait: Text or images designed to attract a reader’s attention and entice them to “click” through to an article. Clickbait is often sensationalistic and is designed to increase traffic and revenue to a website.

In many cases, clickbait comes from websites that are less reputable sources of information.

If you are curious about a clickbait headline and don’t want to click through to the website, Google the topic instead to see if the story is legitimate.

If a headline makes you feel emotional, pause and get more information before sharing. As you read the story, ask if the evidence supports the headline. Read the article or do a quick Google search to see if other news sources corroborate or provide a fuller picture. 

Keep in mind: Some news organizations make corrections and updates to a story online but do not change the headline. This can be discovered only in the body of the article.

If the headline doesn’t match the article, consider sending feedback to the publication. Make note of the mismatch if you decide to share the article with others.

Be a conscious consumer. Read beyond the headlines.

Sources:

Iowa Lakes CC Library Guide: Clickbait. https://bit.ly/40HY3uz

Washington Post: Americans read headlines. And not much else. https://bit.ly/3LdoxOy