(04-04-2015 06:20 AM)Efan Wrote:  Trust me, it's not incompetence. Goals #1,2, and 3 for them are . That sells papers and gets comments on their website.

This is exactly right. That is why they run two inch high headlines for a minor issue. For me, doing that for the sensationalism is just another form of incompetence. Just reporting the facts is beyond them.

(04-04-2015 06:20 AM)Efan Wrote:  Trust me, it's not incompetence. Goals #1,2, and 3 for them are . That sells papers and gets comments on their website.

This, right here. Sales of actual papers is down for most newspapers everywhere. Driving traffic to their website is essential for them to stay in business, as it has ads that help pay the bills. They are all over social media, posting links to their stories and reminding people to "join the conversation" on heated topics. I've found that a large number of their stories are phrased in a way to get people to debate at a minimum, if not outright argue. And if I didn't know that plenty of opinionated folks we already out there ready to take the bait, I'd easily believe they paid people to comment and get others riled up.

(04-04-2015 06:57 AM)bucfan81 Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 06:20 AM)Efan Wrote:  Trust me, it's not incompetence. Goals #1,2, and 3 for them are . That sells papers and gets comments on their website.

This is exactly right. That is why they run two inch high headlines for a minor issue. For me, doing that for the sensationalism is just another form of incompetence. Just reporting the facts is beyond them.

It Did what is was designed for. Your attention.

Newspapers across the world have always used these tactics.

Nothing new to see here.

(04-04-2015 07:00 AM)queenladybug817 Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 06:20 AM)Efan Wrote:  Trust me, it's not incompetence. Goals #1,2, and 3 for them are . That sells papers and gets comments on their website.

This, right here. Sales of actual papers is down for most newspapers everywhere. Driving traffic to their website is essential for them to stay in business, as it has ads that help pay the bills. They are all over social media, posting links to their stories and reminding people to "join the conversation" on heated topics. I've found that a large number of their stories are phrased in a way to get people to debate at a minimum, if not outright argue. And if I didn't know that plenty of opinionated folks we already out there ready to take the bait, I'd easily believe they paid people to comment and get others riled up.

All you have to do is mention ETSU football and money on the press or WJHL page, and you get the usuals out of the woodwork. There's the usual buzzwords:

1. ETSU football
2. ETSU spending money
3. ETSU taking precedence over Science Hill
4. ETSU not playing in the dome.
5. ETSU fraternities living on the tree streets
6. ETSU wanting to revitalize downtown
7. ETSU wanting to change anything or do anything new that might benefit anyone or make things nice again.
8. ETSU sex week
9. ETSU moving the sororities to unused dorms.
10. Christianity.
Any of these ten things will start a $#itstorm of web clicks and comments.