I tend to be someone who often exaggerates.

I embellish the facts a little bit.

Okay, I exaggerate all the time.

Years ago, our dog was barking at the barbecue pit. When I opened the lid, there was a rat in there.

Every time I told that story, the rat got bigger and bigger. It snarled at me when I opened the lid, I’d tell people.

In reality, the rat was probably the size of a large mouse. With the way I was screaming, I scared that rodent more than it scared me.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my sister-in-law’s dogs. They went after a snake that had gotten in the house.

The way I described the situation, the snake was as big around as a thick rope and about five feet long. I probably told people it was hissing and had reared up to strike.

In reality, the snake was only about five inches long and not even as thick as a pencil.

In my defense, a rat is a rat, and a snake is a snake.

We live in a world where exaggeration is how events are reported. The reason – hyping it up sells the news.

Newspapers used to keep track of how many subscribers they had and how many newspapers they sold each day.

Now news organizations base promotions, raises and revenue amounts on the number of “clicks” articles get.

A reporter could write an important article about the national debt but it probably won’t get as many clicks as people wanting to know about the best deals at Costco.

If you want a plain news story with just the facts, good luck. Most of the online news is hyped up. For example, a recent headline read:  “Southwest Airlines makes a change passengers will love.”

This headline made me curious – what exactly is Southwest doing that I’m going to absolutely love.

Get ready – Southwest is promoting its rewards program for those who fly through the end of November.

This is nothing new.

I’ve been using Southwest Airlines for many years, and they’re always running sales – one-way fares as low as $39 is a common promotion for them.

Southwest is using the same enticements they’ve always used. The difference is now they’re using sensational words to get your attention, your click and your money.

When it comes to health, the headlines are often doom and gloom. Here’s one – “the common mistake that could be wreaking havoc on your cholesterol.” That’s a clever headline because we all want to know how we can stay healthy.

The “common mistake?” Not working with a doctor to manage your cholesterol. That’s common all right – common sense.

A favorite tactic is using the line “here’s what happens to your body if you eat this one food every day.” You don’t know if it’s something good or bad so you click on the article.

Let me save you some time.

If you eat high-fat ice cream every day, you will gain weight.

If you snack on celery and cucumbers instead of ice cream, you will probably lose weight.

If you eat cheeseburgers and fries every night, your body will expand around the waist and your cholesterol will shoot up.

There. No need to ever click on those misleading headlines again.

Other words they use to get you to click on their articles are “stunned,” “heartbroken,” “sizzling deals,” “I can’t stop watching,” and, one of my favorite over-used phrases “swear by.”

An old newspaper saying was “if it bleeds, it leads.” That’s still true, but a rare sighting, an incredible product, and “here’s what everyone should know,” grabs the lead every time.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.