tech
January 3, 2026
Oh, Great, Another Supermoon
For the past several years, I’ve been experiencing a tension in my relationship with the moon. I love the moon as much as anyone, but the problem, bluntly, is that the moon is too famous. Maybe you’ve noticed this. The moon is constantly in the news. It is doing something “rare” or “unique” seemingly every week. Local-news outlets will inform their readers that a supermoon is about to “take to the skies” or rise “over Milwaukee,” in stories that are not technically inaccurate, though they do fail to acknowledge that the moon is always taking to the skies and that it rises over everyone. (They will often also give advice on how best to view the moon, as though most of us don’t know generally where it is.)
TL;DR
- News outlets frequently report on lunar events like supermoons, often using sensationalized headlines.
- This trend significantly increased around 2015, coinciding with the digital media's focus on pageviews and shares.
- The moon is considered a reliable and free source of viral content, similar to the 'The Dress' optical illusion.
- Experts suggest that reporting on the moon, while perhaps cynical, is an ethical way to generate traffic by evoking awe.
- The predictability and universal appeal of the moon make it a low-risk, high-reward topic for news organizations.
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