X’s Bold Experiment with News Links
Fortune recently shed light on a daring move by Elon Musk for X, previously known as Twitter. Instead of the conventional news article headlines, X experiments with displaying just the leading image and the source URL when articles are shared.
The Potential Impact on User Experience
With this innovative approach, if users or publishers desire to add context, they’d have to manually input their text. The primary image will, however, remain clickable, leading readers directly to the article. While there’s still uncertainty about the official rollout date or even if this feature will become a permanent fixture, it’s undeniable that such a shift could dramatically alter users’ interaction with news on the platform.
Advertisers’ Initial Reaction to the Change
Despite Musk’s push, this headline-less format hasn’t won everyone over. Initial feedback from advertisers has been less than enthusiastic, as suggested by the materials Fortune accessed. But the momentum behind this change persists. As one insider remarked, “Elon is keen on it, and regardless of reservations, it’s underway.”
Elon Musk’s Drive to Combat Clickbait
But what’s the rationale behind such a radical move? Two potential reasons emerge. Firstly, shorter post heights could allow for a denser display of content on users’ timelines. More significantly, Musk envisions this change as a weapon against the rampant clickbait culture plaguing social media, hoping for a more genuine user engagement with content.
