1 / 12

Headline Writing Do’s and Don’ts

Headline Writing Do’s and Don’ts. Courtesy of Candy Birch. What is a Headline?. A headline is a line of copy that serves as a title for a story. It is written in larger type above the story. A subhead is a miniheadline that gives more information about the story’s content. Headline Do’s.

howard-camacho
Télécharger la présentation

Headline Writing Do’s and Don’ts

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Headline Writing Do’s and Don’ts Courtesy of Candy Birch

  2. What is a Headline? • A headline is a line of copy that serves as a title for a story. It is written in larger type above the story. • A subhead is a miniheadline that gives more information about the story’s content.

  3. Headline Do’s • Read the article, especially the opening paragraphs, to understand the purpose and main idea. • Give the most general, overall focus/summary of the story. • Remember that the headline may be the only reason the reader decided to read the story (Entry point.)

  4. Headline Do’s • Avoid headlines that can have more than one interpretation. • Limit the number of words – 6 to 10, generally. • Use strong, active verbs. (To be verbs are generally understood, but not written out.)

  5. Headline Do’s • Use present tense verbs • Express a complete thought. • Headlines usually read like simple sentences. • Use a secondary headline – or subhead – to convey an additional idea of a story.

  6. Headline Do’s • Substitute a comma for the word “and” • Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns and adjectives. (The rule can be waived if your newspaper’s style is for up-style headlines.) • Write a headline that is grammatically correct.

  7. Example Headlines • New burger targeted for McLean times • Pianist keeps city’s singers in good tune • Halloween scares up snow across much of Kansas • Dr. Seuss, man of rhyme and reason, dies at 87

  8. Headline Don’ts • Mislead the reader about the content of the article. Avoid downplay, exaggeration, sensationalism. • Use the name of the school unless it’s absolutely necessary. • Use the verbs “participate” or “experience”

  9. Headline Don’ts • Use labels or phrases for headlines. • Put a period at the end of a headline. • Use names, unless very well recognized. Use grades or positions instead. • Use abbreviations or slang.

  10. Headline Don’ts • Trivialize a serious story with the inappropriate use of puns or other word play • Separate words that belong together in a phrase. (All words in infinitives and prepositional phrases should be on one line.)

  11. Headlines that went wrong • Doctor Testifies in Horse Suit • Men Recommend More Clubs for Wives • Ike says Nixon Can’t State Pat • Collegians are Turning to Vegetables • Deaf Mute Gets New Hearing in Killing

  12. Headlines that Went Wrong • 4-H Girls Win Prizes for Fat Calves • Farmer Bill Dies in House • New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group • Woman Improving After Fatal Crash • Include your Children When Baking Cookies

More Related