As Americans begin to follow the news less closely are outlets taking a cue and changing the type of news they cover in the worst way possible.
In October, Pew Institute Research released data showing only 38% of Americans follow the news “all or most of the time.” This is down from 51% in 2016. Likely driven by the public’s growing distrust in the media, is the industry’s positive cash revenue flow causing a negative effect on the industry as a whole?
While small outlets (especially newspapers) have a hard time finding positive revenue, giants like Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN are raking in billions. As giants succeed, well-known but still smaller outlets (like Sports Illustrated, BuzzFeed, and CNet) have cut jobs or shut their doors because they are after the same stories the large media outlets are chasing.
Phrases like “viral video” and “TikTok clip” are now seen daily in news articles and newscasts. Meaning, outlets are now following social media’s lead on stories instead of outlets cultivating their own. Check out these headlines:
- Vice: Meet the Man Who Eats Raw Chicken Every Single Day
- Buzzfeed: A Woman Went Viral For Sharing “Hidden Clues” That Indicate You Grew Up With Emotionally Unavailable Parents
- MSN: Kids Go Viral For Fighting During Mets-Astros Spring Training Game
All of these stories made national news — not because they have a direct effect on people but because they create an emotional reaction. It is this visceral reaction that makes you click. More importantly, it’s your clicking of “viral videos” which get stories like the above featured on countless news websites.
Since social media algorithms are affecting what people see they aren’t going to just show you what they think you want. They are also going to show you the stories they think you want from where you want them so long as they are trending. When outlets use artificial intelligence to develop SEO, the computer is not smart enough (or creative enough) to think of eye-catching clickable headlines like the New York Post’s classic “Headless Body Topless Bar.”
Americans not only feel social media is the number one source of misinformation, but social media is where half of Americans are getting their news. While algorithms are controlling what you see, there is another sinister big tech move that is having a negative impact on the industry, Artificial Intelligence. Yes, AI videos on social media are typically identifiable, but written words by AI are much more difficult to discern.
In fact, Sports Illustrated used AI to write stories until they were caught by Futurism last year. Most people would not have noticed, except for one mistake, photos of Sports Illustrated’s AI writers were up for sale on another site.
Futurism has also caught several outlets, like CNet and BuzzFeed, for their use of AI to boost the number of articles on their website. As futurism noted, AI caused CNet to no longer be a trusted site by Wikipedia because of several mistakes and plagiarism. Similarly, BuzzFeed was called out for using AI to save costs after their CEO said they would not.
If Sports Illustrated, CNet, and BuzzFeed cuts have taught the industry anything it’s the digital media revolution is not as lucrative as once believed. More importantly, when outlets start using AI mistakes abound, creativity disappears, and while people may not know AI wrote an article they stop clicking. The smaller the number of clicks, the less likely their stories will pop up in newsfeeds. This cyclical problem is what’s causing many outlets to have problems in today’s world.
Most news outlets are looking at social media stories to report and develop clickbait (this gives them money). While smaller outlets are beginning to use AI to write their story, larger outlets are relying on algorithms to provide clicks. Neither option is practical. Relying on AI is likely what got some outlets into trouble in the first place and algorithms can change faster than the drop of a hat.
Let me be clear, AI and algorithms are not the same. However, they are often conflated because AI would not be able to exist without algorithms. Regardless of the technicality, former Google executive Jim Albrecht’s op-ed in The Washington Post pointed out how technology is killing news. While Facebook is getting rid of its “news tab” the loss of thousands of industry jobs are on their (and other big tech companies’) hands.
Artificial intelligence will be no different than the algorithms of yesteryear. It even may cause more job cuts in the industry. So as we decide what to cover, ask yourself if this story is actual news or if it is a social media trend.
As we are beginning to see following social media’s trend may cause your outlet to fall and die in the clickhole because you are covering the same viral stories as everyone else.
Krystina Alarcon Carroll is a news media columnist and features writer 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.
