Raising clickworthiness: Effects of foregrounding news values in online newspaper headlines

Luuk Lagerwerf; Charlotte Govaert

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45046-5_6

Raising clickworthiness: Effects of foregrounding news values in online newspaper headlines

Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

What attracts news readers in headlines? Many news websites test alternative headlines in order to assess which headline generates more clicks (A/B testing). In order to raise clickworthiness, headlines may emphasize news values including Negativity, Novelty and Eliteness. Headlines may also employ forward referencing (‘This is what you need to know’), or language intensity (‘Worst storm in decades’). Systematic analysis of A/B test data helps to identify characteristics of successful headlines. Using a data set provided by a Dutch national newspaper, headline characteristics are compared as to which incite more clicks, or, more specifically, click-through rates (CTR). The results indicate that besides language intensity and forward referencing, only the news value Negativity has a positive influence on CTR.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	News Values from an Audience Perspective
Editors	Martina Temmerman, Jelle Mast
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Chapter	6
Pages	95-119
Number of pages	25
ISBN (Electronic)	9783030450465
ISBN (Print)	9783030450458
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45046-5_6
Publication status	Published - 2021

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-45046-5_6

Handle.net

Persistent link

Cite this

@inbook{2397d7a36f7a4756918d494d889d3c73,

title = "Raising clickworthiness: Effects of foregrounding news values in online newspaper headlines",

abstract = "What attracts news readers in headlines? Many news websites test alternative headlines in order to assess which headline generates more clicks (A/B testing). In order to raise clickworthiness, headlines may emphasize news values including Negativity, Novelty and Eliteness. Headlines may also employ forward referencing ({\textquoteleft}This is what you need to know{\textquoteright}), or language intensity ({\textquoteleft}Worst storm in decades{\textquoteright}). Systematic analysis of A/B test data helps to identify characteristics of successful headlines. Using a data set provided by a Dutch national newspaper, headline characteristics are compared as to which incite more clicks, or, more specifically, click-through rates (CTR). The results indicate that besides language intensity and forward referencing, only the news value Negativity has a positive influence on CTR.",

author = "Luuk Lagerwerf and Charlotte Govaert",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-45046-5_6",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783030450458",

pages = "95--119",

editor = "Martina Temmerman and Jelle Mast",

booktitle = "News Values from an Audience Perspective",

publisher = "Palgrave Macmillan",

}

TY - CHAP

T1 - Raising clickworthiness

T2 - Effects of foregrounding news values in online newspaper headlines

AU - Lagerwerf, Luuk

AU - Govaert, Charlotte

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - What attracts news readers in headlines? Many news websites test alternative headlines in order to assess which headline generates more clicks (A/B testing). In order to raise clickworthiness, headlines may emphasize news values including Negativity, Novelty and Eliteness. Headlines may also employ forward referencing (‘This is what you need to know’), or language intensity (‘Worst storm in decades’). Systematic analysis of A/B test data helps to identify characteristics of successful headlines. Using a data set provided by a Dutch national newspaper, headline characteristics are compared as to which incite more clicks, or, more specifically, click-through rates (CTR). The results indicate that besides language intensity and forward referencing, only the news value Negativity has a positive influence on CTR.

AB - What attracts news readers in headlines? Many news websites test alternative headlines in order to assess which headline generates more clicks (A/B testing). In order to raise clickworthiness, headlines may emphasize news values including Negativity, Novelty and Eliteness. Headlines may also employ forward referencing (‘This is what you need to know’), or language intensity (‘Worst storm in decades’). Systematic analysis of A/B test data helps to identify characteristics of successful headlines. Using a data set provided by a Dutch national newspaper, headline characteristics are compared as to which incite more clicks, or, more specifically, click-through rates (CTR). The results indicate that besides language intensity and forward referencing, only the news value Negativity has a positive influence on CTR.

UR - https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030450458

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-030-45046-5_6

DO - 10.1007/978-3-030-45046-5_6

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9783030450458

SP - 95

EP - 119

BT - News Values from an Audience Perspective

A2 - Temmerman, Martina

A2 - Mast, Jelle

PB - Palgrave Macmillan

CY - Cham

ER -

Raising clickworthiness: Effects of foregrounding news values in online newspaper headlines

Abstract

Access to Document

Handle.net

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this