The danger of misleading headlines

Walking into a zoo, you would expect to see an exotic animal. Eating in an Italian restaurant, you’d hope to see pizza or pasta on the menu. Sitting in the cinema, you’d anticipate watching a movie and if these scenarios resulted in different outcomes, you would probably be disappointed. So, when we read a headline, we naturally assume the content that follows will be an accurate expansion of what has been hinted at to begin with. And yet, this is not always the case.

On apps such as TikTok and Instagram short videos that are under a minute tend to be favoured by the algorithm, resulting in them being promoted more

As I write this in January of 2025, there are 1.04 billion active users on TikTok, over 2.4 billion active users on Instagram, and 611 million on Twitter. According to an OFCOM report on news consumption in the UK in 2024, 82% of young adults use social media as their source of news and just over half of UK adults use it in the same way.  This is a dramatic change in a very short period from a reliance on news delivered by regulated mediums like print media, television, and radio.

Social media is dominated by short-form content. A style of content characterised by its brevity and conciseness, usually being less than 1,000 words and consumption time of under 10 minutes. However, on apps such as TikTok and Instagram short videos that are under a minute tend to be favoured by the algorithm, resulting in them being promoted more and gaining substantially more views.  Psychologically we feel the toll this takes, as our attention spans gradually erode, and we seek to understand less and less behind a headline. The headline has dominated the story, by our unwillingness to take the time to delve deeper.

To arm yourself for the future, empower yourself with knowledge, hold power and authority to account. Vote with your feet

This phenomenon and experience is one that is not isolated merely to social media, as a result of the success of short-form content, we are now experiencing media publishing companies altering their media formats to maintain news consumption and engagement, once again resulting in leading and misleading headlines.

A headline acts as a window into a story or article and the knock-on effect it has cannot be ignored. It not only determines how many people will read a piece, but it also alters how the piece will be read, interpreted, and experienced. A headline should set the tone for what follows and encourage further interaction. It draws attention to certain details or facts and can activate certain existing knowledge that you already have within your head. But when the headline is the story, and when facts become obscured, then it is possible that a Pandora’s Box is being opened with readers prepped to be manipulated.

Consumers have a responsibility also to understand what they are putting in their heads

Most of us will have heard about the Southport attack, whether it just rings a bell, or is a situation that you are practically fluent in. Regardless of the impact of one newspaper, its heading and the article that followed cannot be ignored. On 29 July 2024, there was a fatal knife attack in Southport, resulting in three girls being left dead. Within hours the name “Ali Al-Shakati” had overwhelmed online platforms – the name of someone who likely does not exist. The name was falsely attached to the suspect along with claims such as he was on a MI6 watchlist and was an asylum seeker who had reached the UK via boat last year. All this misinformation was birthed by Channel3Now and their heading “17-year-old Ali Al Shakati arrested in connection with stabbings in Southport” followed by the subheading “Ali Al-Shakati was on MI6 watchlist and was known to Liverpool mental health services. He was an asylum seeker who came to the UK by boat last year”. All blatant lies. This in combination with the untrue claims that the attacker was Muslim from other sources contributed to riots across Britain – some of which have targeted asylum centres, mosques, and Muslim communities. Of course, the result that was riots is not singularly the fault of this headline, but the use of a headline to weaponise bigotry and hate towards minority groups to get extra clicks was certainly impactful. There appears to be a growing understanding in some circles that certain emotive language generates significant interaction with headlines. The saying a lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth puts on its shoes seems designed for our new social media-dominated clickbait world.

It has become apparent that headlines are a powerful tool to shape a narrative, build social trends, and even affect democratic elections. Irresponsible utilisation of such a tool can cause irreversible damage within our societal frame and must therefore be guarded against. It is also becoming apparent that misinformation is on the rise, with phrases like “alternative facts” becoming code for blatant lies. To arm yourself for the future, empower yourself with knowledge, and hold power and authority to account. Vote with your feet. Outlets purporting to deliver news have a responsibility whether they are regulated or not. Consumers have a responsibility also to understand what they are putting in their heads.