It frustrates me how often arguments like these are made without considering the economic conditions which led to publishers adopting this clickbait behavior.

When the internet came in and destroyed print subscriptions and tech giants like FB/Google started controlling online advertising, getting clicks became the way to make money. We really only have ourselves to blame for choosing ad-driven media content at the expense of new dark patterns that help to prop the system up.

I hate clickbait headlines too, but they work. A/B testing shows publishers that they work.

What should a publisher do to create less sensational content without sacrificing revenue?