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Betteridge's Law of Headlines

Episode 3 of 5

If a newspaper headline ends in a question mark, is the answer always no? And if so, are journalists who use them being lazy and cynical?

If a newspaper headline ends in a question mark, is the answer always no? And if so, are journalists who use them being lazy and cynical?

Ian Betteridge described what is now known as Betteridge's Law of Headlines in a small blog post in 2009. Is it still relevant in our current age of clickbait and media bubbles? Robin Ince puts these questions to Caroline Frost, an ethicist, entertainment journalist and broadcaster, often seen reviewing the papers on a Sunday night on the ±«Óãtv News Channel, and to Gemma Milne, a tech journalist and author of a book about the dangers of hype in science journalism called "Smoke and Mirrors".

Presenter: Robin Ince
Producer: Alex Mansfield

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14 minutes

Last on

Wed 5 May 2021 13:45
±«Óãtv Radio 4

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Broadcasts

  • Mon 24 Aug 2020 09:30
    ±«Óãtv Radio 4
  • Wed 5 May 2021 13:45
    ±«Óãtv Radio 4