The Clickbait YouTube Panic Brigade Is on a Roll Today

[MineralMan]

I will not post any of the videos I've seen. If you're interested, go look to see what's showing up.

There are a number of well-known channels that are trying to tell everyone that "It's all over for Trump," "Trump is losing his mind," and other calamitous clams of Trump being in terrible trouble. I watched some of them. Massive exaggeration and overstatement. As usual.

I'm pleased that nobody is posting those here in GD, but they're out there and getting plenty of views.

The problem I see is that some people will think the end is near for Trump. That is most certainly not so, and letting our guard down right now is a bad idea. I recommend sticking with reliable news sources, rather than confirmation bias bunkum.

Thanks for giving me a minute.

[mikewv]

1. Totally agree!

I am sick of the clickbait saying he is done. I have also reported some of the videos and YouTube has actually removed a couple.

[Ocelot II]

2. Without those clicks and likes and follows they don't make any money.

There’s nothing wrong with making money, of course, but we need to remember that the sensationalism is driven by a profit motive. We want to believe Trump’s downfall is imminent, so we eagerly hoover up every scrap of evidence that this might be true. I hope it is, but maybe it isn’t. I would rather have measured analysis than false hope leading to disappointment. Trump will be gone someday, maybe by politics or maybe by natural causes. In the meantime I will ignore tendentious Youtube slop.

[canetoad]

3. Kick

Very annoying.

There's a new trick being used by some of these channels. In the video title it says, "One minute ago" or five minutes ago. Look at the true time of video - hours or days ago.

[MineralMan]

7. Yes. It's the new "BREAKING!!!!!"

[Aristus]

4. At least they're not the nauseatingly fawning "Tonight, Trump became President!" postings more common in his first term.

Every time he made a public statement without either shitting himself or setting his lectern on fire, the right-wing press would burble "Tonight, Donald Trump became President!"

[Keepthesoulalive]

5. They are just making money off gullible Americans

Whether it’s raw milk is healthy, Tai Chi improves health, Nick Fuentes is finished with trump or some other nonsense, people will willingly line their pockets and laugh all the way to bitcoins.

[NBachers]

6. Yeah, and what's with that big arrow they always have pointing towards something?

[Skittles]

13. or pointing towards nothing

[bluestarone]

8. Agree Plus you can click on those 3 dotts

That you're not interested, and they disappear. That's what i do.

[MineralMan]

10. Yes, you can. I do that often.

[GoCubsGo]

9. Yup, same shit, different day.

Then there are the daily "Trump's health has him near Death's door" posts, too. Yeah, he looks like shit, and he's obviously in poor health. But, he's also being kept alive by the kind of medical care none of us will ever see--on our dime. I have my doubts he'll survive to the end of his term, but I don't anticipate him kicking off any time soon, unfortunately.

[usonian]

11. Damn fine medical care.

[QueerDuck]

12. The "Alternative" Media on YouTube has become the very beast it claims to fight.

You’re spot on. When a channel’s primary product is outrage, truth and accuracy don't just take a back seat... they’re thrown OUT of the moving car.

It’s a hilarious irony that the same people who scream about "mainstream media" being beholden to advertisers have nothing to say when their favorite YouTubers use the exact same playbook.

For all intents and purposes, these "pundits" are just corporate-lite. They’ve become the unpaid marketing department for the same manipulative tactics they claim to despise. Honestly, I’m tired of having my intelligence insulted by the "Content Factory" formula.

These thumbnail images are so predictable. If I see the Impact font, unnecessary exclamation points, a yellow arrow, or a red circle, I know I’m looking at a quality desert. It’s the visual equivalent of a "Going Out of Business" sign for journalistic integrity.

The Twelve-Minute Nothingburger: These creators treat their audience like goldfish, circling the same point and looping repetitive scripts just to hit the mid-roll ad threshold. They trade two minutes of actual news for ten minutes of filler, all to make sure YouTube can insert a commercial. Because the creators value retention time (ie: how long the viewer stays before getting bored and clicking away) they intentionally lead us on and withhold the "payoff" and telling us whatever the answer to the clickbait teaser of You'll Never Believe What Happens Next™

I had high hopes for many of these "independent" voices, but most have fallen into the clickbait trap. It’s a pity that the quality and value of these channels are being liquidated just to satisfy a click-through rate and ad payout goals.

[AZProgressive]

14. IHIP News uses a lot of clickbait headlines

but the content within the video is still high quality. I followed a small time Youtube channel and she toward the end was doing the opposite of clickbait by numbering the titles giving episode # but that person hasn't posted since the 2024 election.

As far as reliable news sources do you even know who is in charge of news stations like CBS or CNN? We have a consolidated media that leans right it isn't what it used to be. One of the people I follow Taylor Lorenz actually used to work for the Washington Post. I'll stick with following Independent news & opinion despite what tactics they have to do for ad revenue.

[flvegan]

15. It's okay. You can easily find them on DU's homepage under Latest Videos.

Not ALL of them are clickbait drivel from The Outrage Factory, though.

[uponit7771]

16. ***THIS*** I'm seeing the same narrative based off snapshot polls