Read on Twitter
news sites have clearly learned how to use a variant of cunningham's law ("the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer") in order to maximize engagement and traffic
news sites that (appear to) get things wrong will get more traffic than news sites that get it right
this suggests to me that news will only get more infuriating as time goes on
example that is, IMO, clearly set up to piss people off via deliberate omission in the title
the article itself, of course, makes sure to talk about it
but the point is that this approach gets more traffic than if you include it in the title and forget to piss people off
the article itself, of course, makes sure to talk about it
but the point is that this approach gets more traffic than if you include it in the title and forget to piss people off
"Lauren Ipsum wins award"
5 RTs, 13 likes
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"SAY HER NAME, $NEWSORG"
___________________
| |
|"Woman wins award"|
|___________________|
17,325 RTs, 64,523 Likes
5 RTs, 13 likes
-
"SAY HER NAME, $NEWSORG"
___________________
| |
|"Woman wins award"|
|___________________|
17,325 RTs, 64,523 Likes
not saying her name seems to have become the best way to get people to know her name
it might even make sense for a news org to have a critic on the payroll. "we'll tweet this, then you outrage-QT it"
but i'm guessing that's not even necessary, because lots of people are eager and willing to outrage-QT for free
but i'm guessing that's not even necessary, because lots of people are eager and willing to outrage-QT for free
This whole state of affairs is clearly not in the public's best interest, but that is going to be very difficult to change, because https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1044880239158022144
What's wild is, the media is arguably the primary means by which the public *is* educated.
So what we have here is a case of a miseducated public further miseducating itself, via a process that is catalyzed by a misincentivized media
[Quote from @alaindebotton's book, News]
![What's wild is, the media is arguably the primary means by which the public *is* educated.So what we have here is a case of a miseducated public further miseducating itself, via a process that is catalyzed by a misincentivized media[Quote from @alaindebotton's book, News]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyXNEGmUYAAPWKt.jpg "What's wild is, the media is arguably the primary means by which the public *is* educated.So what we have here is a case of a miseducated public further miseducating itself, via a process that is catalyzed by a misincentivized media[Quote from @alaindebotton's book, News]")
So what we have here is a case of a miseducated public further miseducating itself, via a process that is catalyzed by a misincentivized media
[Quote from @alaindebotton's book, News]
Btw Matt Yglesias is a coward who consistently tweets terrible takes & then deletes his tweets afterwards. Every time I see him appear on my feed I am embarrassed for him. I've been procrastinating on this tweet, because it's not a nice thing to say about someone... but it's true
Believe it or not when I was a kid I actually wanted to “work in the media”. It seemed like a noble profession. Like being a real-time librarian.
I feel like rule #1 of being a good “media person” is to keep meticulous, publicly accessible/verifiable records. Never delete
I feel like rule #1 of being a good “media person” is to keep meticulous, publicly accessible/verifiable records. Never delete
Lol I made an unintentional typo and it’s a chance to demonstrate what I mean.
If you have tweeted something untrue, and it’s being spread, you can delete it - but screenshot first and explain why
If you have tweeted something untrue, and it’s being spread, you can delete it - but screenshot first and explain why
(I meant errenous, not strenuous. Lol at autocorrect)
If the public stopped paying attention to cowards with no intellectual integrity, it wouldn’t be necessary to call them out
Alas, the public (in aggregate) is an idiot. I’m sorry but it’s true
If the public stopped paying attention to cowards with no intellectual integrity, it wouldn’t be necessary to call them out
Alas, the public (in aggregate) is an idiot. I’m sorry but it’s true
This is a cute and wholesome version of this method in use https://twitter.com/chrisevans/status/1095410975396659200?s=21
Same tactic well-used to market a dating show https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1096487593661714432?s=21
all instances of male parenting will henceforth be described as babysitting https://twitter.com/AMAZlNGNATURE/status/1097564107211853824
17. Indeed that’s the nature of the game at this point and there’s probably no turning back; if anything it’s going to get worse and everybody’s going to keep doing it more and more https://twitter.com/cernovich/status/1105665210440810496?s=21
18. holmes is not actually that interesting, but the media has to pretend that she is
anyway, this is clever marketing https://twitter.com/NewYorker/status/1108213126267367424
anyway, this is clever marketing https://twitter.com/NewYorker/status/1108213126267367424
20. Optimising for engagement means filming and producing more train wrecks. The wreckage will continue to get more spectacular as time goes on https://twitter.com/bbcthree/status/1109909246819229696?s=21
21. “Still feel average” https://twitter.com/cnbc/status/1110367275406815236?s=21
22. It’s funny to consider that commenters like this do it for free https://twitter.com/emilyofpratt/status/1110396619860566016?s=21
23. perfect setup https://twitter.com/wired/status/1112151976320659456?s=21
24. SSC's Toxoplasma of Rage becomes more relevant with each passing day https://twitter.com/GilletteVenus/status/1113565570354409473
If you haven't read it, read it. The core, IMO: media environments are incentivized to find the most divisive issues possible, & get everyone to fight about it. Few talk about Vegan Outreach (very responsible, sensible charity), everyone talks about PETA https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/12/17/the-toxoplasma-of-rage/
25. this dilemma is going to keep getting more intense and more pronounced. Bunch of people showing up in the replies to say "so?" "why does that matter?" – but it would never have gotten on their radar otherwise
26. “the shooter” 
https://twitter.com/sriggswdrb/status/1118111774077870081?s=21
https://twitter.com/sriggswdrb/status/1118111774077870081?s=21
27. Pretending to discover Asian food (and then only mentioning midway in the video, and not at all in the tweet or headline) is a very reliable outrage generator https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1130708048031256576?s=21
28. I wonder if the researchers were earnest? I think 70% chance they were. And I'm 99% sure whoever at WaPo published this, did so gleefully knowing that people would show up to fight in the replies and comments sections. https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1137087593613594624
29. Every media org must now be hungrily hiring writers who can help them get ratio’d on demand https://twitter.com/jezebel/status/1140626411016859648?s=21
31. this tweet itself is bait 
(see the replies) https://twitter.com/voxdotcom/status/1144761147868008448?s=21
(see the replies) https://twitter.com/voxdotcom/status/1144761147868008448?s=21
32. "air conditioning is sexist"
*chef's kiss*
*chef's kiss*
Yes and! Because of the way it’s structured, and because of the users it selects for, Twitter is basically an engine that incentivizes the production and distribution of such outrage https://twitter.com/brandyljensen/status/1148213556334276610?s=21
33. quote-tweeting always fans the flame; be mindful of this and quote-tweet responsibly https://twitter.com/swiftonsecurity/status/995414818717827072?s=21
34. perfect example of “everything will only get more infuriating” - you *know* people are going to call her a hypocrite, that’s where the engagement is. Could’ve published a less contentious alternative... but then what will we fight about? https://twitter.com/huffpost/status/1161978420047335424?s=21
35. Serena beat Sharapova 19 out of 21 times. Then why choose this picture? Read the replies (h/t @IshaWrites for the find) https://twitter.com/tennischannel/status/1164902867548831744?s=21
Then why choose this picture? Read the replies (h/t @IshaWrites for the find) https://twitter.com/tennischannel/status/1164902867548831744?s=21
37. incidentally, PPG is great entertainment and I moderately recommend it https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1169562898399731718?s=21
38. the bait can be brazenly obvious and people will still take it (see replies) https://twitter.com/telepolitics/status/1171721616344178689?s=21
38b.
39. “... But the US anti-hate group says the "overwhelming usage" of the hand gesture today is still to show approval or that someone is OK.”
can’t mention that in the tweet though, of course https://twitter.com/bbcnews/status/1177561240639594496?s=21
can’t mention that in the tweet though, of course https://twitter.com/bbcnews/status/1177561240639594496?s=21
