This Twitter Account Urges People to Enjoy More Funny News Headlines

Watching or reading the news can be an upsetting experience. Sometimes, it feels like the only things being reported are tragedies and atrocities. Don’t get us wrong; it’s essential to be aware of current events, but every now and then, it’s refreshing to read ridiculous headlines and laugh out loud. And that’s what the Crap Local News Twitter account is all about. 

The account mainly focuses on funny UK headlines, but they don’t discriminate. Their bio notes that they share local news stories from “beyond” as well. But one thing that their posts show is that headlines can have quite an impact on audiences. Some people might get swayed and influenced by the attention-grabbing titles without understanding the story’s context. It is important to note how much power a headline can hold.

The Interesting Impact of a Headline

When you enjoy these funny breaking news headlines, it might not feel like they can drastically sway your opinion. But these news titles are more powerful than we could imagine. We consulted an article titled The Current State of News Headlines by research associates Joshua Scacco and Ashley Muddiman. The report examined the implications of crazy Internet headlines and how people select which story to read based on the flashiest title.

One point that Scacco and Muddiman raise is that the type of titles a news source uses impacts how their readers rate their credibility. Traditional news has to compete with digital and entertainment-focused sources. Due to this, they also move away from using standard titles, and you might see more funny newspaper headlines. Ultimately, this might make you question the reliability of traditional media.

How Can Traditional Media Compete With These Offbeat News Headlines?

It is understandable why even traditional news outlets would want to sensationalize their titles to get more clicks, but that’s how we end up with the worst newspaper headlines. They shouldn’t stray too far from their goals just to grab attention. Scacco and Muddiman note that some of the functions headlines can serve are “story summarization, interest generation, immediacy satisfaction, and attention direction.” 

If the title has summarized the story, readers will click or continue to read if they’re interested in what happened. If a source wants to generate interest in a story, they should avoid using “flat headlines” and get creative. Using puns, wordplay, alliterations, or other literary devices can be a great way to build interest. A flashy headline can also be paired with photos or multimedia elements to attract viewers.

This Podcast Covers Strange News Stories

To learn more about odd news, we contacted Scotty Horsman, the host of the ‘What a Weird Week’ podcast. First, we wanted to know what inspired Scotty to start such an unusual show centered around weird news.

“Fame and fortune, of course,” he told Bored Panda jokingly. “But also, my podcast is basically a ripoff of the old and wonderfully weird ‘Ripley’s Believe or Not’ radio feature. Did I say ripoff? I meant an homage. Oops.” Whatever he wants to call it, it’s certainly entertaining! His show highlights the funny TV news headlines and newspaper stories that you can't believe were published. Some are about events like mystery moon crashes, grilled cheese sandwich art, and Mariah Carey being sued for song thievery. 

Why Are People So Captivated by Strange News?

“It’s terrific when you hear a story that seems absolutely bonkers and find yourself thinking—I guess anything’s possible!” he told Bored Panda. 

How Does He Decide What to Feature on the Podcast?

He has a few requirements for the news stories he shares with listeners—not too saucy, not too deep, and interesting enough to tell his wife about at the supper table. When it comes to where he finds these weird news stories to share, he told us that they come from many sources. “But if you only had Twitter and Reddit, you’d have enough content for decades,” he added.

What Are His Favorite Topics to Discuss on the Show?

“I love all the weird food stories,” he shared. “When a restaurant chain introduces a fried chicken wine, that’s making the show for sure! Imagine the team of marketers who sat around tweaking that idea.” Scotty added that this may not have happened yet, but he expects it any day now.