Americans on average spend 7 hours and 58 minutes on digital media daily, according to Statista. However, people are not following the news. According to the Pew Research Center, only 38% of Americans followed the news all or most of the time in 2022. If most people aren’t reading the news for 7 hours and 58 minutes a day what are they doing on digital media? Likely falling for clickbait (Yes, I’m talking about you Buzzfeed, Upworthy, and Distractify.) A Fortune study estimates clickbait websites could be taking $17 billion a year away from journalism.
To compete, Gannett took a huge risk in 2023 hiring two new celebrity beat reporters, one for Taylor Swift and one for Beyoncé. Both celebrities are incredibly talented but wouldn’t Gannett’s resources be better used elsewhere? More importantly, next year will prove if this risk pays off for the media giant and possibly changes the face of journalism as we know it.
Gannett is one of several outlets that are pushing a profit over product narrative, creating cheap clickbait for the reader’s very own filter bubble. While Al Michaels is right, “You can’t make a sideshow the show,” what happens when the news becomes a sideshow designed by “the man behind the curtain?” Are we to not pay attention to him?
Prioritizing clicks over content is exactly the same as prioritizing a tantalizing headline over facts. In recent times, Chris Cuomo called outlets out for this exact thing. Outlets took advantage of the host’s interview with a TikToker who has Tourettes Syndrome with “F— you, Chris” headlines. Instead of mocking Cuomo’s guest, perhaps outlets should have been more focused on what the story was actually about — a neurological disorder that affects millions of Americans. When news organizations prioritize clickbait content over hard news can they be considered news organizations anymore? Can they even be considered a tabloid?
What’s worse, outlets don’t have to hire people to create clickbait. Sports Illustrated was called out this year for publishing articles written by Artificial Intelligence with AI-generated fake names, fake profile pictures, and fake bios. All the articles were deleted when online outlet Futurism questioned Sports Illustrated on their writers. AI “took” jobs from sports journalists, and created content that millions read.
Coming to your digital device in early 2024 Open AI, the people who created Chat GPT, will be paying news outlets for content. Axel Springer, who owns Politico and Business Insider, agreed to allow Open AI to publish, push, and present breaking news coverage to their users at the moment of online publishing (they even got rid of the paywall). This sounds like a giant payday, hooray for journalism profits!
Think about this for a second: We are letting a robot, which is flawed because it was developed by flawed people, decide not only what is breaking news but which outlets users get their information from because of this agreement. Another concern? Will Open AI tell you when the information it gives you is wrong? What if there is a correction to the report?
Earlier this year two New York lawyers were sanctioned for using Chat GPT because the AI created legal briefs, which they submitted to the court, which contained wrong information and cited fictitious cases. Additionally, AI can also omit facts with no consequences or moral compass to guide them.
AI is also not subjected to copyright laws. If news outlets use AI are they no longer subject to copyright laws? Remember, AI plagiarizes and infringes on copyright every time it is used. We saw it with artists earlier this year.
Both clickbait and AI present similar issues they are being presented by aggregators to you, the consumer, much like how Google has filter-bubbled you (ie: Canadians want the score of the NHL Jets versus New Yorkers want the score for NFL Jets). Clickbait and AI have a very similar function. They are not here to help you become an independent thinker (like non-biased news outlets used to do) they are here to make you dependent and brainwashed.
Clickbait will suck you in, not giving you the information you need to know but giving you information it thinks you want to know. AI is likely to be one and the same, only with more dangerous consequences.
If the world does not see the clear and present danger of AI and news continues on this path we will go from “All the news that’s fit to print” to “All the news that fit to click.”
Krystina Alarcon Carroll contributes features and columns for Barrett Media. She has experience in almost every facet of the industry including: digital and print news; live, streamed, and syndicated TV; documentary and film productions. Her prior employers have included NY1 and Fox News Digital and the Law & Crime Network. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
