The Albanian-language information portals "botasot.info" and "sot.com.al" have, in recent days, published articles with generalizing titles about the field of black chronicle, which have occurred in other countries.
During daily monitoring, hibrid.info has managed to collect several articles with such a structure, i.e. with generalizing titles in these articles, as well as illustrative photographs that do not make the location of the event clear and considering that their contents are in Albanian, these titles mislead the audience into thinking that the event may have occurred in any of the Albanian-speaking countries.
The titles placed in the articles published by the information portals "botasot.info" and "sot.com.al":
"More than 250 minors were rescued after being exploited by a religious sect"
"Serious/ Young man stabs two minor children, suspected of..."
Links to articles published in several online media in Kosovo:
The article from “botasot.info” titled ““To learn how to have sex” - The shocking statement of the mother and stepfather who raped the 15-year-old girl”, in its content indicates that the case occurred in Utah, United States of America, while hibrid.info, to further confirm this fact, found the article published by the American medium “nypost.com”, which states that this event occurred in Utah, USA. (see here)
The article by "sot.com.al" about 250 minors exploited by a religious sect only clarifies in the content that it happened in the African country of Zimbabwe, while hibrid.info has also found the article by the British medium "theguardian.com", which reported on the same event and immediately provided the information in the title that the event happened in Zimbabwe, South Africa. (see here)
Even the other article from "sot.com.al" about the stabbing of two students is only clarified in the content that it happened in Germany, and the foreign media outlet "mirror.co.uk" has also reported on this event, indicating that it happened in Duisburg, Germany. (see here)
Analyze:
Some news portals have published articles with general titles regarding cases from the field of black journalism that have occurred in other countries, without indicating in the title or in the photograph the place where the case occurred.
These cases occurred in non-Albanian-speaking countries, while the content of these portals is in Albanian, and by not clarifying where the event occurred, it implies the possibility of the event occurring in the territory of one of the Albanian-speaking countries in the region, thus misleading readers.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info considers these articles to be "Clickbait".
Reasoning:
“Clickbait” is considered to be informational content whose title is general and does not disclose the location of the event, context and relevance. Such texts and articles aim to attract the attention of the audience with sensational headlines with misleading consequences, which do not accurately clarify the content of the article. “Clickbait” headlines are mainly made to attract readability in the case of media publications and/or to earn from clicks in the case of commercial publications.