Seeing through clickbait and headlines

In short: Clickbait is sensational headlines that arouse curiosity or outrage so that you click. The content often does not live up to what the headline promises.

In more detail: The more clicks, the more advertising revenue: that is the business model behind it.

In detail

• Typical patterns: “You won’t believe …”, “This is what happens then …”, numbered lists, superlatives.
• Emotions: Anger and fear spread faster (emotionen-verstehen-und-regulieren).
• Question headlines: Questions in headlines are mostly answered with “no”.
• Checking: Read the article rather than just the headline, look at source and date.
• Sharing: Do not share anything you have not read.
• Reputable media: They also use pointed titles, but the content should be verifiable.
• Satire: Satire sites often identify themselves only in the imprint.
• Source comparison: Look for the report in several independent media (medienkompetenz-und-fake-news-quellen-prüfen).