In this day and age of social media, where content creators have to compete to obtain views, clickbait news has become commonplace. But although these articles effectively attract quick engagement, the proliferation of such content raises concerns about journalistic ethics and audience trust.

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer Siti Syamsul Nurin Mohmad Yazam noted that while the use of clickbait in today’s media landscape is understandable, it must be handled responsibly.

“We need to attract readers’ attention to encourage them to read or delve further into the news content, and as long as the headline is related to the content, it should be OK,” she said.

However, oftentimes it does not really link to the point of the article at all. Clickbait journalism often uses headlines that are dramatic, emotional or intriguing, promising sensational news or information, prioritising clicks to generate traffic, regardless of the content’s actual value or accuracy.

Siti stressed that in today’s fast-paced digital landscape, people need to verify facts before sharing information.

“Nowadays, society has the power to spread news. It’s not like in the past, where only journalists had that power. The public should conduct proper fact-checking before sharing any news,” she said.

“Just be ethical. Once you are a content creator, it does not matter whether you are attached to a media organisation or simply a member of the public – you should still think about social responsibility, and what is more important for the public, not just certain individuals.”

Meanwhile, UUM senior lecturer Azahar Kasim pointed out that the concept of clickbait is not characteristic of true journalism.

“With ‘real’ journalism, we are taught to craft the perfect headline. This should be based on the first paragraph of news, and not fabricated just to get attention,” he said.

Ultimately, Azahar believes clickbait headlines may be suitable for light or casual news, but should not be used for serious reports.