Headlines Your words in BIG TYPE

Memorable heads

Jerked to Jesus

Memorable heads Jerked to Jesus Ford to City: Drop Dead

Memorable heads Jerked to Jesus Ford to City: Drop Dead Headless Body in Topless Bar

Memorable heads Jerked to Jesus Ford to City: Drop Dead Headless Body in Topless Bar Dewey Defeats Truman

Memorable heads Jerked to Jesus Ford to City: Drop Dead Headless Body in Topless Bar Dewey Defeats Truman Sticks Nix Hick Pix

Memorable heads Jerked to Jesus Ford to City: Drop Dead Headless Body in Topless Bar Dewey Defeats Truman Sticks Nix Hick Pix Hicks Nix Knicks in Six

Phrases with pith The easiest thing for a reader to do is stop.

Phrases with pith Water flows downhill.

Phrases with pith Headlines are set in big type.

How to write headlines

Read copy (all the way)

How to write headlines Read copy (all the way) Pick out key words

How to write headlines Read copy (all the way) Pick out key words Form into ‘sentence’

How to write headlines Read copy (all the way) Pick out key words Form into ‘sentence’ Fit into space –Synonyms –Figures or words –Keep playing around

Headline checklist Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. Your heads MUST accurately reflect the substance and nuance of their associated articles.

Headline checklist Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. Your heads MUST accurately reflect the substance and nuance of their associated articles. Concentrate on nouns and verbs. Use strong nouns and active verbs.

Headline checklist Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. Your heads MUST accurately reflect the substance and nuance of their associated articles. Concentrate on nouns and verbs. Use strong nouns and active verbs. Humor has its place, but humor for the sake of humor is usually a mistake. No: “Roasted Nuts.”

Checklist continued Keep units of thought together. Don’t let line breaks interrupt: prepositional verbal or nominative (noun) phrases.

Bad breaks Too Many Fumbles in Game Hurt Packers

Bad breaks Too Many Fumbles in Game Hurt Packers Terror Suspects Are Held in New Jail

Bad breaks Too Many Fumbles in Game Hurt Packers Terror Suspects Are Held in New Jail FCC Backs Phone Number Portability

Checklist continued more For this class capitalize the first word of each line, all principal words (including “to” when part of an infinitive and forms of the verb to be in a verb phrase) and all words of four letters or more.

Checklist continued more For this class capitalize the first word of each line, all principal words (including “to” when part of an infinitive and forms of the verb to be in a verb phrase) and all words of four letters or more. Avoid the temptation to leave things out.

Checklist continued more Letters, making weird abbreviations, like Osh for Oshkosh.

Checklist continued more Letters, making weird abbreviations, like Osh for Oshkosh. Verbs, making a headline into a label: Arrest in Killing

Checklist continued more Letters, making weird abbreviations, like Osh for Oshkosh. Verbs, making a headline into a label: Arrest in Killing Subjects: Arrest Two

More on headlines Strive for heads that sing and zing. In almost every case, the first headline that comes to mind or fits in the space allotted should NOT be the headline that gets printed.

More on headlines Strive for heads that sing and zing. In almost every case, the first headline that comes to mind or fits in the space allotted should NOT be the headline that gets printed. Figures can be substituted for words.

Even more on headlines Understand headline tense—present is past, infinitive is future, past is a kind of past perfect. Report: Jessica Lynch was well retreated

Still more on headlines Understand headline punctuation.

Still more on headlines Understand headline punctuation. –No periods

Still more on headlines Understand headline punctuation. –No commas. –A comma = and.

Still more on headlines Understand headline punctuation. –No commas. –A comma = and. –A semicolon = period.

Still more on headlines Understand headline punctuation. –No commas. –A comma = and. –A semicolon = period. –Single quote marks.

Still more on headlines Understand headline punctuation. –No commas. –A comma = and. –A semicolon = period. –Single quote marks. –Colon can be used for quote or to tie two thoughts together.

One more thing Headlines are both verbal and visual. Pay attention to what they say and how they look.

One more thing Headlines are both verbal and visual. Pay attention to what they say and how they look. A multicolumn head must extend at least halfway across last column.

One more thing Headlines are both verbal and visual. Pay attention to what they say and how they look. A multicolumn head must extend at least halfway across last column. A multiline head should either have equal lengths or step down, from longer lines to shorter ones.