I wish people would start reading actual newspapers more, rather than just clicking at whatever add-financed bullshit is trending in social media.

Journalists are not to blame here, the problem is entirely on the side of media consumers who neither have the attention span to read quality coverage of anything nor the willingness to pay for content.

Hopefully the fediverse will foster different dynamics in the type of news content that is shared, pushing journalism over sensationalism and confrontationalism. Not that it would solve the problem, but it would at least be a beginning.