'Can I click it? Yes you can': Football journalism, Twitter and clickbait

Abstract

This paper is part of an ongoing longitudinal analysis of the Twitter timelines of 15 major football media outlets from 2010 to 2017. It aims to demonstrate how over time the need for content has increased the scale and frequency of tweets, duplication of content and an increased focus on high profile football clubs, players and managers. The use of Twitter in this way is more directed at being a one-directional broadcasting medium, where content is increasingly homogenised – and where search engine optimisation and attractive headlines trump journalistic content. On the most basic of levels clickbait exists to generate traffic, increase site visitors and attract more advertising. As a result, this is reducing the quality of football journalism in a never-ending quest for easy content.