Q: Why do we love online news quizzes? A: Because they make us smarter

Patti Wolter, a journalism professor at Northwestern University, calls quizzes a form of service journalism. “I would appreciate quizzes that have reporting and information built in,” she says. “We’re just talking about what’s the wrapper or the packaging that’s going to be more appealing to the reader? In a world where every kind of media, whether it’s news or something else, is looking for different ways to attract people, being creative around the format of the story is a strong strategy.”

In fact, according to Dowling, the quiz format in particular may prove to be a better way to tell some stories. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal published a poll titled “What type of voter are you?” To share findings from a research study. Published by The Washington Post “Can you spot bad financial advice on TikTok?” Drawing attention to potentially harmful misinformation on social media and helping readers identify it.

Dowling says publishing information in the form of a quiz can also add depth to the reporting. “It forces you to look at things from different perspectives. Your quiz will have some output that tells you there are other ways other people could have answered that quiz. And so, I think that diversifies sociological findings. I think that’s healthy because I get to think about myself compared to others.”

social study

The ubiquity of online quizzes also gives news media a way to deal with one of its biggest challenges: the mass exodus of readers to social media. The same institutions that promote the quizzes Slowly losing their audience On social platforms, where news is just one of many types of content.

according to a study bench According to a survey published in April, 43 percent of U.S. TikTok users say they get news on TikTok. Pew also reportedIn February, people seeking news on social media cited convenience as a primary benefit. “If, on any given day, I want to know what’s happening in the Middle East, I want to know what’s going on with Congress, I’m looking for a new recipe, I’m looking for a creative way to do things,” Wolter says, “any media outlet wants me on their site to satisfy many, many of those items.”

According to the same Pew study, 40 percent of Americans who get news from social media expressed concern about the potential for misinformation. In theory, a news publication’s use of diverse storytelling formats should provide the same one-stop-shop convenience as social media, but provide content produced with higher editorial standards.

Rawiya Kamir, an assistant professor of journalism at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications, says the migration to social media reflects a failure on the part of the journalism industry to reclaim the connection with readers that social media has taken over. “A lot of publications lack the community in the comments section or other types of direct engagement that we see on social media,” she says, highlighting the need to “find a way to capture the community and bring it back to publications.”

The quizzes generally deal with light-hearted topics, allowing readers to leave the often-upsetting news cycle for a while and do some introspection within the context of the news as well. The Washington Post “Are you ready to buy a home?” For example, the quiz informs readers of relevant news related to home ownership, such as current mortgage rates and the percentage of homes purchased in cash.

“We forget that many people turn to these publications for entertainment and knowledge and for things other than pure life-or-death information,” says Kamir. “From the reader’s perspective, the benefits of quizzes are manifold. They’re fun, they’re engaging, they’re a way to understand ourselves and each other a little better.”