Sensationalism versus Substance: Exploring “Viral” and “Quality” Journalism in the Greek Public Sphere

Abstract

In an era dominated by the digital revolution, the distribution of information has undergone a profound transformation. The duality of “quality journalism” and “viral journalism” has become an important theme in the modern media landscape. This paper explores the scope of information dissemination, dissecting the fundamentals, challenges, characteristics, and trends associated with both “quality” and “viral” journalism. Utilizing the Greek political scene as a case study, this paper aims to examine the tensions and trade-offs inherent in journalistic practices within the context of contemporary information dissemination. Analyzing closely media coverage surrounding events such as the election of Stefanos Kasselakis, the new President of the SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance party, we seek to elucidate the delicate balance between viral and quality journalism. By shedding light on these dynamics, our study aims to provide a nuanced understanding of how journalism navigates the tension between virality and quality within the Greek political sphere in a “post-politics” era.

1. Introduction

In the contemporary digital landscape, journalism is undergoing transformational change driven by the coexistence of two distinct models: “viral journalism” and “quality journalism”. Scholars such as Anderson (2011), Boczkowski et al. (2018), and Jenkins et al. (2013) have contributed significantly to defining these terms. “Viral journalism”, exemplified by clickbait, sensationalism, and rapid online dissemination, thrives on the power of social media algorithms and the lure of instant gratification. In contrast, “quality journalism” remains true to its commitment to rigorous investigation, fact-checking, and ethical responsibility, embodying core values of credibility, accuracy, and honesty. This paper will examine the characteristics, multifaceted implications, and complex challenges associated with each approach, explaining their profound impact on the media ecosystem and social discourse.

The tension between these models goes beyond simple editorial choices and includes complex issues such as trade-offs between virality and accuracy, manipulation of public discourse by misinformation bias, and the erosion of trust in news organizations. This paper will highlight the integral role of “quality journalism” in balancing these distortions, promoting informed citizenship, and defending fundamental principles of democracy. A harmonious coexistence between virality and accuracy can be built through a collaborative effort between media organizations, digital platforms, and regulators. By dissecting the dichotomy between “viral journalism” and “quality journalism”, this paper will not only try to enrich our understanding of the contemporary media environment but also will argue for a radical approach. The focus is on balancing the appeal of virality with people’s demands for truth, accountability, and the well-being of democratic societies. More specific, the following paper employs a qualitative textual analysis of news articles from four Greek news organizations, examining media coverage of Stefanos Kasselakis’ election. By analyzing these articles, the study aims to elucidate the balance between “viral” and “quality” journalism.

2. Navigating the Digital Landscape

News and journalism practices are undergoing complex changes under the influence of technology (Touri et al. 2017). The digital landscape has revolutionized the way we consume information. Online platforms, social media, and smartphones have made information more accessible and immediate than ever. This digital domain has blurred the lines between traditional journalism and new media, creating both opportunities and challenges for journalists and consumers.

News agencies have had to adapt to the digital age, integrating multimedia elements into news reporting and interacting with audiences in real-time through social media. The 24/7 news cycle requires constant updates, but it can also spread unverified or sensational information, challenging the principles of good and responsible journalism.

Recent insights from the 2024 Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute reveal shifts in digital media consumption, emphasizing the role of multimedia elements in engaging audiences. The report identifies several key developments shaping the media landscape. Although traditional text-based content has long been a cornerstone of online journalism, there are noticeable changes in audio and video formats. This shift is driven by new devices, platforms specializing in multimedia, and a growing preference among younger audiences for these formats. In 2024, news organizations plan to increase the production of videos, podcasts, and newsletters while maintaining a steady volume of written content. This shift is partly driven by declining social media engagement, with a need for more immersive and authentic strategies, such as audio and video. Short videos on platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts are an important focus for engaging younger audiences. Publishers need to incorporate these storytelling techniques into their websites and apps to connect with their audience. Video content, especially vertical video, is expected to play an important role in attracting audiences. This format is increasingly being used to reach young people on platforms, and publishers are bringing these formats back to their own platforms. In many legacy newsrooms, the move to multimedia production represents a fundamental cultural shift away from text-based content. This transformation is considered the “second stage” of digital transformation. In response to the decline in social media referrals, publishers are increasingly focusing on engaging directly with consumers through websites, apps, newsletters, podcasts, etc. Alternative platforms like WhatsApp and LinkedIn are also being explored to drive more referrals. As these trends continue to evolve, they are expected to determine a more digital future media consumption (Newman 2024).

As Steensen (2009) mentioned, the introduction of technology into journalism has given rise to a sea of different concepts that describe similar or even identical phenomena or content—concepts such as convergence, transparency, hypermedia, user-generated content (UGC), participatory journalism, citizen journalism, wiki journalism, and crowdsourcing. He claims that this has boosted the media and journalism profession and brought entirely new skills to professional journalists, such as immediacy in reporting, flexibility and multitasking, copy-paste mentality, and 24/7 deadlines (Steensen 2009, p. 702).

Boczkowski (2009) discussed two clearly related changes in journalistic practice: the first is the increasing use of technology by journalists for research and reporting, and the second is the greater use of technology involves increased surveillance and expanded imitation in the newsrooms.

However, here the focus is not so much on users, as we argue about “viral journalism”, but on cross-platform journalism. Media content is available on many platforms, but this type of journalism does not engage users as an important part of message distribution and circulation. In the concept of “viral journalism”, we include the concept of convergence by embracing technological innovation and accessibility, but we also involve users in the communication process through their interests and their ability to distribute content within their network. As a result, technology is an important element of virality as well as users’ ability to disseminate information.

When talking about the transition from online journalism to multimedia journalism, content is overlooked because multimedia journalism is mainly concerned with the visual components of news. In the term “viral journalism”, we increasingly include multimedia features, such as videos, photos, GIFs, and memes, which are also technical components but also provide a new perspective on the story (with news created as quizzes, lists, questions with titles, etc.) and news broadcasting (making the news more interesting for users so they can broadcast it on their social networks). According to Deuze (2004), multimedia journalism is defined by the convergence of text, graphics, audio, and video on a single platform. Although the goal of this convergence is to improve the narrative by making it more dynamic and captivating, it may also overwhelm the significance of textual content that has been thoroughly researched. Deuze argues that the visual and interactive elements take the lead in drawing in and holding the audience’s interest, often at the cost of in-depth reporting and journalistic research. In support of this theory, Pavlik (2001) examined how journalism has changed in the digital era and points out that the popularity of multimedia forms has increased the focus on visual storytelling methods. While these methods might make news more approachable and compelling, Pavlik pointed out that they also run the risk of oversimplifying complicated issues to fit visual formats, missing the nuanced analysis that comes with traditional text-based journalism. The impact of digital media on news production and consumption was further examined by Boczkowski (2005). According to his research, news companies frequently choose visually striking material that increases user engagement when multimedia elements are integrated. Because of the emphasis on visuals, there may be less in-depth reporting and analysis because resources are being directed toward creating multimedia material that has a higher chance of becoming viral.

2.1. “Quality Journalism”: Core Principles and Challenges

The question of why we should care about “quality journalism” begins with the question of why we should care about journalism at all. The obvious answer is that a free and independent press serves informed citizenship. This defense reflects a fundamental assumption that aggregated individual decisions to elect officials are optimal when voters have access to large amounts of information and opinions. News media provide this information and opinions. More generally, by making information more transparent in society, journalism is an essential component of democratic autonomy (Lacy and Rosenstiel 2015).

If one accepts the definition that quality represents the ability of journalism to perform its functions, then improving the quality of journalism will improve people’s ability to make sense of the chaotic world around us. Quality journalism interprets, analyses, and strives to give meaning to all the babbling that is going on (Vehkoo 2010).

“Quality journalism” measurements are important, but they become more complex when we try to measure and define “quality journalism”. The are no global criteria established, and often, the meaning of the term “quality journalism” varies from individual to individual based on their cultural, social, economic, or educational backgrounds (Bachmann et al. 2022).

Vehkoo (2010) discussed three main perspectives from where we can look at and examine quality. Through the public’s view—to what extent do the media inform, educate, and entertain audiences, through the perspective of media companies and what they do to understand better the needs of their audiences and, of course, from journalists’ point of view.

However, this paper, in order to explore the concept of “quality journalism,” will focus on the academic and journalistic perspectives. We will try to define what quality means in a commonly acceptable way, at least to most journalists.

“Quality journalism” adheres to basic principles such as accuracy, objectivity, and ethical reporting. It serves as a watchdog, providing in-depth analysis and contextual information. However, the challenges of maintaining “quality journalism” in a rapidly changing digital environment are enormous. There have been a number of theoretical contributions from recent years worth mentioning, which have tried to define “quality journalism”, such as Bogart’s (2004), Picard’s (2000), McQuail’s (2005), and Ramírez de la Piscina et al. (2015) among others. This study synthesizes these perspectives to define and measure quality journalism comprehensively.

Picard (2000) implements that you know quality when you see it, or you will definitely know when it’s not there. He believes that the way to measure quality in journalism is by evaluating journalistic practices, like conducting interviews, gathering information, attending events and meetings, reading, or organizing material.

Most recently, Bogart (2004) points out three measures for quality journalism: (1) a high ratio of staff-written articles, (2) a high amount of editorial content, and (3) a high proportion of interpretation and background of news.

McQuail (1992) approached the concept of media quality from a normative democratic perspective. He defined media quality as “the independent assessment of mass media provision according to alternative ‘public interest’ criteria, by way of an objective and systematic method of research, taking account of other relevant evidence and the normal operating conditions and requirements of the media concerned” (McQuail 1992, p. 17, as cited in de la Piscina Martínez et al. 2014). Later, he identified five basic values of media quality: freedom, equality, diversity, truth, information quality, and social order and solidarity (McQuail 2005). For McQuail, freedom applies to the ability to express oneself publicly without government or economic system restrictions. The second value, media equality, refers to access to media and being open and equal to all, not only accessible to elite groups. For diversity, he suggested a number of dimensions (McQuail 2005, p. 198): “genre, style of the format in culture or entertainment; news and information topics covered; political viewpoints; and so on”. For the fourth value, McQuail used the term “objectivity”, acknowledging the limitations of the concept, while his final value is connected with media quality, which is social order and solidarity and relates to the role of the media to create “harmony and “integration”.

Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, in their book “The Elements of Journalism” (Kovach and Rosenstiel 2014), they enumerated nine principles that are fundamental to the journalism profession after a three-year study. In Western countries, this list of nine principles is currently regarded as the industry standard. So, for a journalist, in order to provide people with the information they need, journalism must deliver the following: (1) the truth is journalism’s first duty, (2) its citizens are its top priority, (3) it is fundamentally a verification discipline, (4) its practitioners need to remain apart from the people they are covering, (5) it needs to function as a stand-alone power meter, (6) it needs to offer a forum for citizen compromise and criticism, (7) it should aim to make the noteworthy engaging and pertinent, (8) the news must remain balanced and complete, (9) its practitioners need to be permitted to follow their own conscience. Terms like objectivity, fairness, and balance are not on this list because the writers felt that they were too ambiguous and debatable for everyone to agree upon. They believe that this list is essential to clarifying the fundamental principles of journalism, even though many journalists may find it self-evident. Although this notion of journalism is frequently required of journalists, it is rarely stated.

According to Meijer (2001), the public’s level of engagement with journalism should be the determining factor in its quality. Engagement is more than just attracting big audiences; it also entails developing deep relationships with audience members, provoking thought, and advancing civic engagement. Relevance is the most important factor when it comes to public quality standards. Journalism needs to cover themes that have an impact on people’s everyday lives as well as larger societal challenges. It also needs to handle issues that the public finds important. Additionally, inclusivity is essential since it guarantees the representation of a range of voices in journalism. In order to present a comprehensive picture of society’s concerns, this entails incorporating viewpoints from various demographic groups, socioeconomic backgrounds, and marginalized communities. Credibility is increased when journalistic methods are transparent. This requires being transparent about the sources used, the journalistic method, and the information’s limits. Social media and interactive platforms can facilitate active audience interaction, which will improve journalism’s public quality even more. This interaction includes responding to audience comments and incorporating them into the creation of news. The limits between information and entertainment are frequently blurred in popular journalism. Although this may draw in larger audiences, it is crucial to strike a balance so that entertainment does not detract from journalism’s importance and informational value. Complex subjects can be made more approachable and interesting for the general audience by using storytelling techniques. The reporting’s depth and factual integrity should not be jeopardized, though. “Popular journalism” can serve the public interest more effectively and promote informed and involved citizens by abiding by these ideals. These highlightings offer an overview of the key points covered in Meijer’s work, illustrating her belief that journalism should empower and educate the audience in addition to providing entertainment.

Foundational research by Urban and Schweiger (2014) provided a comprehensive review of “quality journalism”, emphasizing its essential role in democracy and informed citizenship. Given that today’s media landscape is characterized by greater competition, commercialization, and economic constraints that may force media firms to compromise on standards of journalistic quality, the study is especially pertinent.

Media consumers are frequently exposed to news that is partial, prejudiced, or factually incorrect, as noted by Urban and Schweiger. In order to combat the forces that push media companies to compromise on quality, they emphasize how critical it is for recipients to be able to assess news quality with accuracy. Their research attempts to examine the assumption made by communication researchers, who typically claim that recipients lack the expertise necessary to evaluate news quality. Their study identified six essential components of normative news quality. The incorporation of many social groups and ideologies in reporting is referred to as diversity. Focusing on contemporary and socially significant concerns is what is meant by relevance. To enable people to comprehend societal issues and make wise judgments, accuracy entails supplying accurate and comprehensive information. News must be comprehensible in order for its recipients to understand it. Neutral and balanced reporting is necessary for impartiality. Finally, news must follow ethical guidelines in accordance with ethical norms. According to the study, recipients could distinguish between news sources that varied in variety, impartiality, and relevancy. Nonetheless, they found it difficult to assess news articles’ morality, objectivity, and readability.

Technological advancements and economic pressures significantly influence journalists’ ability to produce “quality journalism”. McManus (1994) argues that “market-driven journalism”, which prioritizes profits and audience appeal over traditional journalistic values, poses a threat to the quality and integrity of news reporting. His book explored the consequences of this shift, including the rise of sensationalism, the decline of investigative journalism, and the increasing influence of corporate interests on news content. McManus supports actions that focus on reducing the negative effects of “market-driven journalism”. To help distinguish “quality journalism” from entertainment, these measures involve improving regulatory frameworks, promoting citizen-oriented journalism, and launching media literacy campaigns. Also, Cohen (2002) demonstrated how the online news industry’s demands force platforms to prioritize material that generates a lot of traffic and advertising funds. Sensationalist and entertainment-focused content frequently follow, overshadowing in-depth and investigative reporting. The chase of profit also brings up serious ethical issues, such as potential biases and lowered journalistic standards. In order to increase engagement and clicks, online news outlets often treat their audience like customers by customizing material to suit widespread preferences.

“Quality journalism” remains the foundation of democracy and the free exchange of information. The fundamental principles of accuracy, independence, fairness, public interest, transparency, and accountability are essential to maintaining an informed and engaged citizenry. However, the challenges journalism faces in the digital age, dilemmas of economic hardship, misinformation, polarization, and ethical dilemmas, threaten its sustainability. In the face of economic, technological, and communicative issues in the so-called “post-truth age” new formats, coverage patterns, and distribution processes have emerged (Meier et al. 2022). To maintain journalistic integrity, society and industry must work together to address these challenges while respecting the principles that underpin “quality journalism”.

2.2. “Viral Journalism”: Characteristics and Trends

Diverging from the exploration of “what does media do to people?” which is central to discussions about “quality journalism” focusing on the impact of media on individuals, we now turn our attention to “what people do with media?” and how they utilize media platforms. In the case of “viral journalism”, people may share content because it provides entertainment, helps them stay informed about current events, allows them to express their opinions, or facilitates social interaction by sparking conversations and debates.

In order to understand better what “viral journalism” is, first, we have to define what virality is. Although there are many definitions, based on the Oxford Dictionary (www.oed.com), “to go viral” means “to (be) spread widely and rapidly”. Since it can be challenging to determine why some videos, songs, movies, or news articles suddenly become extremely popular while others that are comparably (if not superior in quality, content, and presentation) do not, virality is considered one of the challenges of the Internet era (Al-Rawi 2019). The rise of citizen journalism, influencer-driven content, and meme culture are among the trends associated with “viral journalism”. These trends blur the lines between reporting and entertainment, and often thrive on the emotional impact of stories rather than their substantive content. This approach can create echo chambers where people are exposed to information that confirms their existing beliefs.

Researchers in marketing and advertising conducted some of the earliest studies on viral material, primarily employing emotion studies. According to Jenkins et al. (2013), the phrase “viral marketing” was first used by the “firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson in 1997 to describe Hotmail’s use of advertisements…. to promote its free email service”. In their same study on spreadable media, they assert that if a piece of content has a “perceived social value”, it may go viral (Jenkins et al. 2013), while some academics believe that viral content is just word-of-mouth extended further (Phelps et al. 2004), or also known as “buzz-marketing”.

It appears that the usefulness of the information is one of the components of virality. Berger and Milkman (2013), for instance, speak of the six elements of virality, or STEPPS for brief: social currency, triggers, emotion, public, practical value, and stories. Additionally, Mills (2012) states that for a message to go viral, it must possess some level of likeability, which is defined as “the degree to which the message is stimulating or engaging in some emotional or intellectual way” (Mills 2012, pp. 166–67). Accordingly, the author established four factors—”the spreadability of content based on personal factors, the propagativity of content based on the media type, the integration of multiple media platforms, and the successive reinforcement of messaging”—that serve as generators for viral marketing. This framework is referred to as the SPIN framework.

The “two-step flow” communication model (Katz 1957; Lazarsfeld et al. 1944) connects “buzz-marketing” and the “spreadable” audience attitude toward media consumption with journalism. It claims that influential audience members disseminate information to their contacts and followers. Mediators are important in journalism since so many individuals consume journalism through friends and followers on social media.

Users select sources according to two criteria: those with which they generally agree and those that are “satisfactory” (Nahon and Hemsley 2013). In other words, these intermediaries serve as effective filters, sifting through the noteworthy and entertaining, opinionated, and thought-provoking news that keeps one informed and entertained. People frequently join “interest networks” (Nahon and Hemsley 2013) based on the subjects that interest them, as opposed to merely remaining in the networks because of contacts they have made in real life.

Furthermore, users’ engagement with the material is inconsistent and frequently superficial, which might lead to a “viral state of mind” (Denisova 2016), which refers to audiences with short attention spans who frequently form conclusions based on headlines rather than entire stories. In the digital age, the conventional notion of “incidental news consumption”, which has been researched for decades, is taking on new dimensions. Before the Internet, people would come upon stories they were not looking for but were exposed to via a newspaper or TV newscast. Nowadays, “incidental consumption” refers to discovering the stories while engaging in other online activities such as purchasing, listening to podcasts, or perusing social media feeds (Boczkowski et al. 2018; Mitchelstein et al. 2020; Valeriani and Vaccari 2016). According to Mitchelstein et al. (2020), there is a “continuum” of sporadic news exposure that includes headlines rather than complete stories on private social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, text messages, direct messaging, and so on. “Viral journalism” has potential in this complex media system because it shares content that is engaging and relevant to a wide range of audiences. According to Bebić and Volarević (2016), “viral journalism is a form of online journalism in which the goal is to get as many readers as possible to click on an article and share it on social media”. However, there are a number of complicated processes involved in getting any media text to rank highly in online searches or trends on social media. With decades of trial and error, this sector of journalism has changed, frequently at the cost of professionalism in the process (Denisova 2023).

Also, the rise of digital-native news outlets like BuzzFeed exemplifies the changes in journalistic practices and the impact of “viral journalism”. BuzzFeed is a digital media company well-known for combining news and entertainment content. BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III, with an initial emphasis on social media sharing and viral content. Tandoc and Jenkins (2017) talk about BuzzFeed’s enormous impact on modern journalism. In order to reach a wider audience, BuzzFeed uses a hybrid model that blends new media techniques with conventional journalism, combining serious reporting with entertaining material. It uses analytics and data-driven journalism to customize content for maximal engagement and shareability. As a leader in native advertising, BuzzFeed helps to monetize digital journalism by blending adverts with original content in a seamless manner. The emphasis on producing viral content highlights a change in news values toward audience-driven content. Additionally, BuzzFeed pushes the limits of traditional journalism with its ongoing innovation and experimentation with new formats and platforms. BuzzFeed is a prime example of how journalism has changed by putting an emphasis on viral content and audience interaction, which has completely changed the way traditional news is reported. The industry is impacted by this trend toward “viral journalism” since it prioritizes shareable and engaging content, frequently at the price of more thorough, in-depth reporting. This change is indicative of a larger trend in which media outlets strike a compromise between their journalistic ethics and financial interests. In their analysis of BuzzFeed News and Vice News similarities, Dennis and Sampaio-Dias (2021) pay particular attention to how they employ language when covering elections. Vice News is a digital media company and news division of Vice Media, known for its immersive and unconventional reporting style. Established in 2014, it covers a wide range of subjects, such as politics, social concerns, and world events, frequently emphasizing underreported topics and distinctive viewpoints. Both organizations use emotional language to connect with their young audience. This means talking in an easygoing, relatable, and internet-culture-reflective way, equivalent to having a casual conversation with friends. In order to make political content more approachable and interesting for younger readers, they incorporate subjective, confessional, and individualized modes of expression—all of which are prevalent in social media communication.

“Viral journalism” represents a dynamic and evolving aspect of modern journalism. It leverages digital tools, social media platforms, and engaging storytelling techniques to quickly attract and maintain the attention of a large audience. Features like catchy titles, emotional appeal, and shareable formats contribute to the viral nature of the content. Meanwhile, the “viral journalism” trend highlights the dominance of social media, user-generated content, and the importance of visuals and data-driven storytelling.

Kaur et al. (2020) studied through content analysis the different effects of “viral journalism” on news content, the most important being that hard news is replaced by soft news. In addition, in “viral journalism”, attention shifts to shareable content that attracts readers’ attention, leading to clickbait headlines that often contribute significantly to the spread of fake news.

“Viral journalism” faces challenges in maintaining accuracy and combating misinformation, as the pace of content dissemination can sometimes outpace efforts to verify facts. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, news organizations will need to adapt to these trends and characteristics to engage audiences and maintain journalistic integrity effectively.

2.3. Tensions and Trade-Offs

The coexistence of “quality journalism” and “viral journalism” can create tensions within media organizations and create ethical dilemmas for journalists. Finding the right balance between reaching a wide audience and meeting journalistic standards is an ongoing challenge. Journalists often face the dilemma of choosing between pursuing a story that will attract attention or one that requires careful research and fact-checking. This tension can be illustrated by the pressure to release information quickly in a competitive environment, which can affect accuracy and fairness. The balance between clicks and credibility is at the forefront of discussions in newsrooms around the world, highlighting the need for journalists to navigate this complex landscape cautiously and responsibly. This article explores how “quality journalism” and “viral journalism” coexist and interact, shaping the contemporary media landscape.

In this context Ferrer-Conill and Tandoc (2018) emphasize the critical role that audience-oriented editors play in this context, interpreting metrics to guide editing decisions. These editors, who follow the trend in journalism toward an audience-centric approach, strike a balance between journalistic intuition and data-driven insights. Content development is significantly influenced by engagement, which is mostly defined in metrics such as page visits and social media engagements. This change is consistent with an increasing volume of digital journalism research highlighting the use of analytics to guide editorial decisions (Tandoc and Thomas 2015). Audience-oriented editors negotiate between data and editorial standards, ensuring that journalistic integrity is maintained while catering to audience preferences. In order to balance the conflict between “quality” and “viral” media, this dual role is essential. However, the lack of consistency in those positions among newsrooms suggests that journalism’s use of analytics is still developing. This result aligns with media study conversations regarding the benefits and difficulties brought about by the growing quantification of journalistic practices.

“Quality” and “viral” journalism play a complementary role in the media ecosystem. “Quality journalism” serves as a foundation for delivering trustworthy and informative news, while “viral journalism” amplifies the reach and engagement of these stories. In terms of newsroom routines, “quality journalism” pertains to the creation or production phase of journalism, while “viral journalism” relates to the dissemination or distribution phase of the process. “Quality journalism” informs the public about important events and issues and provides in-depth analysis. It plays an important role in democracy by holding those in power accountable and acting as a check and balance on government and institutions. Although “viral journalism” sometimes prioritizes entertainment and sensationalism, it raises awareness about a variety of topics and engages audiences in ways that “quality journalism” can struggle with.

The coexistence of “quality” and “viral journalism” requires adaptation in newsrooms. To stay relevant and competitive, news organizations must balance traditional journalistic values with the demands of digital and social media platforms. Many newsrooms now have teams dedicated to producing content specifically designed for virality in addition to their main quality journalism units.

Viral press often leads to increased web traffic and advertising revenue. This revenue can help support the operations of news organizations, including their “quality journalism” efforts. Therefore, the coexistence of these approaches can create a symbiotic financial relationship in which the financial benefits of viral content support the production of “quality journalism”. Social media platforms are essential for the coexistence of “quality” and “viral journalism”. “Quality journalism” relies on these platforms for distribution, leveraging their reach to inform the public. “Viral journalism”, on the other hand, actively exploits the viral nature of social media, creating content optimized for sharing and engagement on these platforms.

While “quality journalism” and virality can coexist, they also pose challenges and trade-offs. The need for speed and pressure to go viral can sometimes spread unverified information and sensational content, eroding the principles of “quality journalism”. Finding the right balance between rapid engagement and accurate reporting is a persistent challenge in this coexistence.

“Quality journalism” is built on trust, achieved through a consistent commitment to accuracy, transparency, and objectivity. In contrast, “viral journalism” can be seen as prioritizing clicks and shares over journalistic principles. Finding a balance to maintain public trust while benefiting from the virality of digital content poses a challenge to their overall survival. “Viral journalism” sometimes uses clickbait, sensationalism, and emotional manipulation to attract shares and engagement. While this approach may be effective in spreading the word, it raises ethical questions. The coexistence of “quality journalism” and “viral journalism” requires ongoing discussions and decision-making regarding the industry’s ethical standards. “Quality journalism” is designed to hold the power to account and maintain transparency. “Viral journalism” can sometimes operate without the same level of accountability and transparency, potentially contributing to the spread of misinformation. The coexistence of these approaches highlights the need for vigilant efforts to maintain journalistic integrity.

The concurrence of “quality journalism” and “viral journalism” means news organizations can speak to diverse audiences. “Quality journalism” addresses the need for in-depth, unbiased reporting, while “viral journalism” can attract a broader, more diverse audience by addressing hot topics, important stories, and more.

Thus, the study explores two main research questions:

RQ 1: How do Greek news organizations balance the tension between viral and quality journalism in covering political events?

RQ2: What are the consequences of prioritizing “viral” content over quality in political reporting?

3. Materials and Methods

The main methodological tool for this study is content analysis, which aims at the unveiling of social reality. When conducting content analysis, one approaches a written text to uncovering data that can verify the relation between subjectivity and objectivity.

To illustrate the dynamic between “quality journalism” and “viral journalism” and delve more into its features, we look at the case of Stefanos Kasselakis, which is used as an example to highlight how certain stories “go viral” and what are the effects on the credibility of the content.

“Viral content” is known for attractive headlines containing a question or a series of images. Also, content that evokes a lot of emotion from the reader is more likely to go viral (Berger and Milkman 2013). The ability of these types of features to influence the audiences explains, to a great extent, why so many media outlets have adopted them. Many articles are often written in shorter lengths and sometimes with more humor (Tandoc and Jenkins 2017).

This analysis is an attempt to explain the selection of specific features and their potential influence on readers. As such, it does not permit any generalization of results.

Collection and Analysis: The Case of Stefanos Kasselakis

This study is based on a qualitative analysis of articles from four online media outlets in Greece that referred to Stefanos Kasselakis, the new leader of the Greek political party SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance party, either in their headlines or their news leads.

The sample under analysis is taken from the following sites: protothema.gr, iefimerida.gr, thepressproject.gr, and insidestory.gr. Inside story is a medium with a monthly subscription that focuses on offering independent, investigative, and in-depth journalism on a wide range of topics. ThePressProject is a reader-funded, open-access media outlet in Greece that does not accept any funding from political or banking institutions. It publishes political analyses and investigative reports and places particular emphasis on international journalistic cooperation and multimedia content. Both protothema and iefimerida belong to the most popular Greek online media. Protothema is also known for its populist orientation.

There were two criteria by which the online newspapers listed in

Table 1. Source of articles for analysis.

Publication	Number of Related Articles
protothema.gr	900
iefimerida.gr	700
thepressproject.gr	30
insidestory.gr	0

were selected. The first has to do with the traffic of the websites, and the second is related to the type of funding, whether it is advertising-based or subscription-based media. Regarding traffic, we derived the data from the ranking of the online platform similarweb.com. SimilarWeb.com is a website and a digital marketing intelligence platform that provides insights and data about website traffic, user engagement, and online market trends (see Figure 1). It gathers data from various sources, including web crawlers, ISP data, and proprietary algorithms, to estimate website traffic, visitor demographics, referral sources, and more. Based on the above website ranking system, protothema.gr comes first in traffic, followed by iefimerida.gr, insidestory.gr, and finally, thepressproject.gr. In terms of funding, the first two online media rely on advertising, unlike the next two, which base their revenues on subscriptions and reader donations.

Stefanos Kasselakis, with no prior political experience in the politics of Greece, crashed with the force of an asteroid on current Greek political and media life. Openly gay, alleged shipowner, American-bred, presumably charismatic, yet previously unknown, he made the huge leap from obscurity to becoming leader of the second largest party, SYRIZA. He has been several times characterized as “Messiah” both from the national media and his political opponents.

The period of analysis was limited to articles published in September 2023, when news about Stefanos Kasselakis and his candidacy for the presidency in the party’s upcoming internal elections that would be held on 17 September 2023, first broke out.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that headlines play a crucial role in news articles. They offer readers context, help them understand the information better, and stimulate the interpretation of the content by triggering relevant background knowledge (Bransford and Johnson 1972; Dor 2003; Ifantidou 2009). Furthermore, among the defining features of clickbait, the headline is considered the most important bait, given its critical significance in the selection of news (Bazaco et al. 2019). According to Chakraborty et al. (2016) and their linguistic analysis, clickbait headlines, as opposed to non-clickbait headlines, tend to have longer sentences that contain both substantive elements (specific references) and functional words (words with ambiguous meanings). In addition, clickbait headlines tend to contain more frequently used words and highly positive language. In particular, they often address the reader directly using first- and second-person pronouns. This is a departure from the third-person perspective commonly found in non-clickbait headlines (Chakraborty et al. 2016).

A total of 1,630 articles from the three media outlets have been analyzed, as insidestory did not publish any content with the aforementioned characteristics. The components analyzed were clickbait headlines and references to the appearance of the social and personal life of Stefanos Kasselakis. The questions that guided the analysis were:

Does the title have clickbait characteristics in terms of word usage, image selections, etc?

Does it contain questions?

Does it contain references to Kasselakis’ personal and social life?

The presentation of the findings is organized across each medium so as to paint a clear picture of how the political economy of each medium and its orientation plays a significant role in the way it addresses issues.

4. Discussion

Before Kasselakis entered the race, his political opponent Achtsioglou had been the clear frontrunner to succeed former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who resigned following SYRIZA’s significant defeat in May’s 2023 elections.

Kasselakis was seen as emblematic of a “post-politics” era, as he ascended to the leadership without engaging in debates or interviews, instead relying on a continuous stream of social media posts featuring his American partner, his gym routines, his dog, and his coffee preferences.

His candidacy sidestepped the normal course of public discussion, using social media platforms to project, even create, a tailored image as he ran a campaign more akin to entertainment than politics, eschewing substance and meaning for the tools of a digital influencer.

Enlightening is the following event. On the night SYRIZA, Greece’s biggest left-wing party, voted for its new leader, Kasselakis’ team ordered pizzas. Kasselakis came down to the lobby with his partner, Tyler McBeth, to collect the pizzas in person. Later, he returned to hand out a few pizzas to the journalists. The pizza delivery story was at the top of Google search results for Kasselakis’ name. The incident is emblematic of his campaign, which catapulted him onto Greece’s political scene over a matter of weeks. He used a mastery of TikTok, Instagram, and X to create an unexpected buzz around his name and his personal life.

The election of Stefanos Kasselakis serves as an ideal case study for examining the prevalence of “viral journalism”. His candidacy and subsequent victory have attracted widespread attention and coverage, showcasing the dynamics of sensationalism within media discourse. By dissecting the media portrayal of Kasselakis through headlines and leads, we can illuminate the factors contributing to the proliferation of viral content in political reporting.

“Viral journalism” often focuses on topics that are timely, sensational, or emotionally compelling, as these tend to garner more attention and shares online. It relies heavily on catchy headlines, striking visuals, and content that evokes strong reactions from readers or viewers. The following section will present the analysis results of newspaper headlines and articles with the tag Stefanos Kasselakis.

Analysis of headlines of this period connected to Kasselakis, fulfill the criteria of emotional appeal, have powerful language and imagery, as well as engagement potential. Media organizations used it as a part of their strategy to catch readers through “a headline that does not respond to traditional journalistic criteria and whose ultimate goal is to keep the reader in the webpage for as long as possible, not to inform” (Orosa et al. 2017, p. 1265). This perspective defines headlines as “stylistic and narrative instruments that function as decoys to induce anticipation and curiosity in the reader so that they click on the headline and continue reading” (Blom and Hansen 2015, p. 87).

4.1. Proto Thema

“Proto Thema” is a Greek Sunday newspaper that was first published on 27 February 2005 and remains the Sunday newspaper with the largest circulation. In January 2008, the protothema.gr website was created as a daily online newspaper that provides coverage of a wide range of topics, including current events, politics, economics, culture, sports, and more.

Clickbait headlines appeared as the main style of writing on protothema.gr, published in September 2023. In this deluge, a special tag or section dedicated to Stefanos Kasselakis provided a spotlight for readers looking for further research into these statistics (see Figure 2). Designed to attract attention and drive clicks, these headlines used persuasive language and hyperbole to lure readers. Emotional shifts were evident in all articles, with writers using emotionally charged words to evoke strong reader responses. By tapping into reader sentiment, this content was designed to engage and encourage participation on social media. Speculation fueled intrigue and the writers teased out strange nuances of Stefanos Kasselakis’ personality. This uncertainty further fueled the click-chaos around his name, leading to intrigue and speculation about his identity and motivations. Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) emerged as the primary sources of approximately 900 articles. The sheer volume of content on these platforms increased the reach and impact of clickbait headlines and sensationalist stories. Algorithmic strategies that prioritized engagement fueled the proliferation of phenomenal stories, contributing to the saturation of Stefanos Kasselakis’ storytelling across digital channels.

Characteristic is the first title in Figure 3: “If Kasselakis looked like Quasimodo would we bother with him?” wrote Vicky Hatzivasiliou on Instagram. We all succumbed to beauty… racism” or the first title in Figure 4 “Video: Kasselakis’ training with Tyler in Spetses”. It becomes evident that Kasselakis’ portrayal hinges on superficial elements such as appearance. This tendency sheds light on a significant factor contributing to the proliferation of viral content in political reporting: the tendency to prioritize sensationalistic aspects over substantive issues. By scrutinizing how Kasselakis is judged based on his appearance or his gym routines, we can uncover the role of superficial narratives in driving the spread of viral content within political discourse.

4.2. iefimerida.gr

The iefimerida.gr is a Greek news website that was established in 2011, has high traffic, and is ranked among the top twenty Greek websites. According to data from the international organization Reuters Institute, in 2022, this website will have a 20% share of weekly traffic for all Greek users.

Continuing our analysis, we note that the second online platform we chose iefimerida.gr, presents similar characteristics to those mentioned above. Specifically, we also have here a large number of articles about or related to Stefanos Kasselakis, approximately 700 articles for the month of September 2023. In addition, in the special tag or category created for Stefanos Kasselakis, just before the articles, there is a short description of who he is and what his professional career has been so far (see Figure 5). Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) are the main sources of the articles, characterized by the proliferation of emotionally charged content and clickbait headlines with sensationalist language and exaggerated claims to captivate audience attention. It is worth mentioning that the content and the titles of these two media platforms (protothema.gr and iefimerida.gr) are very similar, to the extent that if you do not see which media is which, you can not practically distinguish them.

We can read in the second headline of Figure 6, “The journalists were in a frenzy with Kasselakis because he treated them to a bagel”. Headlines like this, as Palau-Sampio notes, can also be associated with a certain type that “unlike the informative headline, appeals to curiosity with humor, emotion or classic baits like sex” (Palau-Sampio 2016, p. 68). Palau-Sampio puts this phenomenon in relation to infotainment and content trivialization, and associates it with the “viral strategies, developed in the field of marketing (…) an important resource when feeding digital traffic, and the ability of new media to capture advertising” (Palau-Sampio 2016, p. 67). We also have the headline “Kasselakis responds to a homophobic comment” in Figure 7, which again points to Kasselakis’ sexual orientation.

It is clear that there is no in-depth analysis of the events but a simple reproduction of statements and comments made on social media. Several times, it was observed the phenomenon that the name Stefanos Kasselakis is mentioned in the title, but, in fact, the content of the article does not refer to or directly concern him, and this proves once again the pursuit of clicks and high engagement rate. After all, it is quite common in today’s digital landscape for many news organizations to find themselves in a challenging situation, torn between adhering to online trends to attract public attention and make a profit, while maintaining their reputation as trustworthy news sources (Silverman 2015).

4.3. The Press Project

thepressproject.gr (TPP) was founded in 2010 and is a Greek independent digital media outlet that relies exclusively on the subscriptions of its readers. It is known for its in-depth investigative journalism and analysis on various topics, including politics, economics, society, and international affairs. It has received recognition both domestically and internationally for its journalistic work and contribution to public discourse.

In contrast to the first two online media we studied, thepressproject.gr for the corresponding period of time, devoted only 30 articles to Stefanos Kasselakis and all the discussion that was provoked in the media about his upcoming candidacy as party president, that is as many articles were uploaded daily to protothema.gr and iefimerida.gr (see Figure 8).

In comparison to the sophisticated clickbait headlines of the period, the articles analyzed for thepressproject.gr adopted a neutral tone in their headlines as shown in Figure 9. These articles prioritized the important over the emotional, with the goal of providing readers with accurate and balanced information. By avoiding emotional metaphors, they fostered an environment conducive to critical thinking and informed discourse, focused on a variety of factors to highlight the content and give readers a broader perspective.

4.4. Inside Story

The site insidestory.gr was founded in 2016 and is a daily subscription media outlet offering independent, investigative, in-depth journalism on a wide range of topics. It has completed and published a Transparency Report by participating in the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) and has been awarded EUR 25,000 from the European Journalism COVID-19 Support Fund to support the operation of its core team and its strong network of journalists in the difficulties created by the crisis, as well as to cover part of the cost of maintaining an active dialogue with its readers and subscribers.

Unlike the other three online media, the results we found were completely different when we did the relevant search with the name Stefanos Kasselakis for the same period (September 2023). There was no specific category with articles about Stefanos Kasselakis and the current news about the election. Instead, the results led us to a special category with humorous content through which the person of Stefanos Kasselakis was commented on (see Figure 10). More specifically, this category contained memes whose content criticized the current political situation and what was being discussed about Stefanos Kasselakis and his candidacy as shown in Figure 11. Essentially, it was a reproduction of memes that had been published on other online platforms with small humorous captions—comments.

The way they chose to approach this person and the prevailing situation around it reinforces the profile of this online medium and the way it operates. After all, they themselves state this clearly within their website: “Here you won’t find the news you read elsewhere. We don’t focus on the news of the day. You can get that for free” accessed on 7 April 2024).

The insidestory.gr is an online journalistic medium dedicated to investigative journalism with international methods and ethical standards. It does not deal with current affairs, but with in-depth research on new and unexpected issues, aiming to present the story behind the news in order to expose its implications, to understand the connections, and ultimately, to be able to understand what is happening. Therefore, the audience it addresses is specific, seeking meaningful and quality journalism on issues that concern them, and they believe that they will be able to understand them better and in-depth. As Himma-Kadakas and Kõuts (2015) mentioned, consumers’ main reasons for paying for online news content include anticipating high-quality and distinctive web content.

5. Conclusions

In summary, Kasselakis’ case study reveals factors that greatly affect the nature and quality of information disseminated to the public. The emergence of homogeneity highlights a troubling limitation in the concepts presented, preventing a full understanding of complex issues. This limitation is exacerbated by the relationship between social media and traditional media structures, and online platforms often promote certain issues, potentially to the detriment of others.

6. Key Findings

The findings have not been surprising considering the type of outlets studied and their characteristics. On the one hand, “viral journalism” offers a good way to earn as a news medium for advertising, while on the other hand, if you are looking for loyal readers, then one needs to invest more on credibility. In the hunt for sustainable business models, publishers have to answer the question of ad-based or subscription-based media business models, which is a key one, and accordingly design their content strategy. The most important findings from our analysis are two:

The revenue models seem to be an important factor for “virality”. When they pay for the content, readers expect high quality. So, the content has to meet the expectations of the reader. From our analysis, it became evident that the only outlet with a subscription in our sample (insidestory.gr) did not contain any stories that fit the description “viral journalism”. The more news media outlets switch from an advertisement-driven revenue model to a subscriber-driven revenue model, the less “viral journalism” will play an important role in news work.

“Viral” journalism techniques mainly concern the headlines. Therefore the headlines are made as attractive as possible. Additionally, there has been a sharp decline in in-depth analysis in news articles that look at clicks and traffic in the digital realm. Prioritizing emotion and conciseness over critical analysis compromises the integrity and credibility of the information presented to the audience. This trend not only undermines the public’s access to minority opinions but also undermines trust in media organizations. On the other hand, the consideration of target audiences in content production highlights the professional importance of journalism. Tailoring content to the preferences and expectations of a particular demographic can sustain one narrative while marginalizing others, thereby shaping public discourse in predetermined ways.

Furthermore, we can assume that the orientation of news organizations plays an important role in news production, as biases and norms within these organizations influence editorial decisions. These biases can distort information delivery, impose strengthening pre-existing beliefs and ideas, and ignore the use of new ideas. As Silverman (2015) mentioned, certain content labeled as “viral” does not become truly viral until news websites choose to promote it. Also, the influence of different sources of income on news content cannot be ignored. Financial support from institutions can introduce biases and conflicts of interest into editorial decisions, potentially undermining the integrity and objectivity of journalists. Thus, media organizations face a dilemma between adhering to online trends to sustain profitability and upholding high standards to preserve credibility as news sources (Silverman 2015).

In conclusion, a full understanding of media content production requires an analytical examination of the complexities at play. By scrutinizing the impact of product uniformity, social media trends, lack of in-depth research, lack of media channels, target audience perceptions, and revenue streams participants can better understand the modern media ecosystem and the diverse, informative, and reliable media environment.

In a world where the digital landscape dominates the media landscape, there is a need to come up with strategies to bridge the gap between “quality journalism” and “viral journalism”. We discuss ways for news organizations, journalists, and consumers to make healthy choices, promote responsible reporting, and combat the pitfalls of emotion. Recommendations should include a call for transparent sources of information, media literacy for consumers, and the importance of critical thinking in times of information overload. Encouraging responsible sharing on social media and supporting quality independent journalism organizations are also integral parts of this section.

To better understand the implications of this research, future studies should investigate whether the results are applicable to different countries and focus more on business strategies and their link to content.