A print media pet peeve - WHAT TO KNOW

[ZenithCKLW]

I'm not sure where to post a discussion about print media, so I'll put it here. I have recognized a minor pet peeve when browsing news headlines on news sites or social media. Many different publications now headline their stories with "what to know". It could be breaking news, important news, popular news, or fluff, and they so often say "what to know".

First, let me say that if I am browsing your news site, and I potentially click on a story, by default I am looking for WHAT TO KNOW, you don't need to waste my time and expectations with saying it. Second, that kind of title suggests to me that the story is somehow going to be concisely summarized with the main bullet points, but so often, these stories are filled with more background information, eyewitness testimony and opinions, and other non-critical information that it's just a waste of time sifting through it all.

I usually end up skipping these stories altogether as it's what I expect to find in the junk tabloid stand in the grocery checkout or with the rest of the clickbait at the bottom of websites. You may say "well my favorite newspaper doesn't do this." Fine. But lots do, and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with a publication's prestige, political persuasion, or content. It's just an overused headline that might as well say to me "continue scrolling".

This hardly interrupts my day, makes me lose sleep, or causes any distress other than an eyeroll and a post on a media message board. Here are some examples with a variety of publications. See below. What are your thoughts? Has anyone else noticed?

Observer & Eccentric - Want to be a sailor on the Great Lakes? What to know to land a mariner job

Observer & Eccentric - These are the 10 unhealthiest fast food chains. What to know

Observer & Eccentric - You'll need to follow these changes at airport security. What to know

Observer & Eccentric - Canadian wildfires prompt air quality alert in Michigan. What to know

USA Today - Florida inmate's execution for 'savage' killings to mark 10-year high in US. What to know.

USA Today - IRS lifts ban on churches getting involved in politics and endorsements: What to know

USA Today - Are tariff rates going up? What to know about Trump's deadline

USA Today - River and lake summer safety: What to know before you go

USA Today - Did Carnival ban clacking fans, hip hop music on cruises? What to know.

USA Today - Trial starts over Trump's efforts to deport foreign-born student protesters: What to know

FoxNews - Bryan Kohberger, Luigi Mangione may share same rare neurological condition: What to know

WXYZ - New CDC information shows 1 in 3 teens has prediabetes. Here's what to know

WXYZ - A new 'safe driver refund' scam is popping up in Michigan. Here's what to know

WDIV - Emergency rooms see sharp rise in tick bite cases this month -- what to know

WDIV - The Best Man: Unfinished book tour coming to Detroit -- What to know

WDIV - Air Quality Alert issued in Michigan due to Canadian wildfires -- What you need to know

Detroit Free Press - Ann Arbor Art Fair returns July 17-19: What to know

Detroit Free Press - This Port Huron border crossing ties Michigan to Canada. What to know

[Bobbertt]

Interesting catch. It's certainly an extreme spin on the inverted pyramid style of news writing.

Just some general thoughts:

• They're trying to tell you that the article includes some consumer-type reporting and practical information. It's not just a straight news report.

• They're acknowledging that people have more narrow attention spans now, so they have to have things pointed out to them, using the "What to know" phrase and the AI-generated summary.

In some ways, the AI-generated summary takes us full circle to the subhead-heavy front pages of years ago:

[Rate This]

I’ve never liked them taking the thinking out of it. Or telling me how to feel for that matter by describing something as sad, shocking or outrageous. I can decide that for myself.

[TC Talks]

Television News is nothing but over hashed clichés and you are worried and how newspapers draw readers into the internal sections.

[Matt]

My pet peeve is the goddamn Ann Arbor Art Fair.

[djb]

This is equivalent to folks that start out sentences with the word, "Listen..."

[Turkeytop]

This is equivalent to folks that start out sentences with the word, "Listen..."

That was Sarah Sanders.

What day is it MS Sanders?
Look. Today is Tuesday.

What is 4+2 MS Sanders?
Look. The President has already said that 4+2 equals 9.

[Circle Seven]

deleted I had my dates wrong.

[MichMash]

I'm not sure where to post a discussion about print media, so I'll put it here. I have recognized a minor pet peeve when browsing news headlines on news sites or social media. Many different publications now headline their stories with "what to know". It could be breaking news, important news, popular news, or fluff, and they so often say "what to know".

First, let me say that if I am browsing your news site, and I potentially click on a story, by default I am looking for WHAT TO KNOW, you don't need to waste my time and expectations with saying it. Second, that kind of title suggests to me that the story is somehow going to be concisely summarized with the main bullet points, but so often, these stories are filled with more background information, eyewitness testimony and opinions, and other non-critical information that it's just a waste of time sifting through it all.

I usually end up skipping these stories altogether as it's what I expect to find in the junk tabloid stand in the grocery checkout or with the rest of the clickbait at the bottom of websites. You may say "well my favorite newspaper doesn't do this." Fine. But lots do, and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with a publication's prestige, political persuasion, or content. It's just an overused headline that might as well say to me "continue scrolling".

These "what to know" article get my goat, but the ones that I detest are the print articles about "HOW TO WATCH" something that is being televised.

Here's how I watch. Does my remote have fresh batteries and do the buttons work? Yes? Is the program in question something that I actually WANT to watch? Yes? Great. My dupa's on the couch with remote in hand and a perhaps a frosty beverage nearby. That's how I'm watching. I don't need some dumb article to tell me that.