Media warned to chase truth, not clickbait and outrage
By Dominic Giannini
Media outlets have been warned to stop chasing clicks through outrage and focus on better informing the audience, as the fourth estate contends with turbocharged misinformation in the digital age.
Democracy couldn’t be taken for granted in a world of artificial intelligence, social media and a fragmented media landscape, Constructive Institute CEO Ulrik Haagerup told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
Media organisations had turned to a model of trying to sensationalise news to drive traffic rather than write what was in the public interest, as the advertising revenue the industry traditionally relied upon dried up, the former news editor and investigative journalist contended.