Headlines, cutlines, captions Broad guidelines in a nutshell

Sample Headlines Enraged cow injures farmer with ax Something went wrong in jet crash, expert says Iraqi head seeks arms Student suspended over dagger Many businesses say English must be spoken on by workers Hunduism unknown by most Skyline students

Criteria for strong headlines Sentence capitalization (only first word, and any proper nouns/adjectives, get caps) No “a,” “an” or “the” Strong verbs, present tense Limit the number of words -- 6 to 10, generally Substitute a comma for the word "and."

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—it’s the reader’s entry point. Avoid headlines that can have more than one interpretation. Express a complete thought. Headlines usually read like simple sentences. Use a secondary headline -- or subhead -- to convey an additional idea of a story. Stay within the same “font family” on the same pg.;can change sizes & spacing of other headlines

Headline Do NOTs Use exaggeration, sensationalism. Use the name of the school unless it's absolutely necessary. Use the verbs "participate" or "experience." 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. 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.) Use more than one banner headline on a page. Repeat words on the same page. (Very common on sports pages.)

Fixing poor headlines New curriculum offers opportunities and concerns New curriculum offers opportunities, concerns Smith takes his role seriously as instructor Driver's ed teacher takes role seriously

Please fix the following: President inks nuclear pact Pop is unhealthy, yet popular among teens Skyline theater program making changes

[ captionwriting ] A caption: > identifies > describes > explains

[ captionwriting ] Types of captions: > ident: name and very brief description > summary: who, what, when, where, why, how > quote: first-person, word-for-word commentary > expanded: in-depth, 5Ws & H and direct quote > collection: describe a photo package, can be idents > group: identifications by row

[ captionwriting ] Caption content: > lead-in: photo mini-headline > first sentence: describes action in present tense > second sentence: background in past tense > quote: relevant human interest commentary > supporting facts: additional information

[ captionwriting ] Caption form: > who: senior Kyle Smith > when: October 30 > where: Central High School; State Track Meet > what: long jump; school and state record 25 feet, 8 inches > why: 1 of 10 who qualified for state competition > how: won district and regional conference meets > quote: “Since he was our first team member to go to state in school history, we were really excited for Kyle to do well and kick it in,” said senior captain John Herman.

[ captionwriting ] Identify: > Kyle Smith, state long jump champion. > Kyle Smith sets school, state long jump record. > At Central H.S.: Kyle Smith attempts long jump.

[ captionwriting ] Summary: > Jammin’ Jump. Setting a school and state long jump record at 25 feet, 8 inches, senior Kyle Smith stretches the distance in his first attempt of the meet.

[ captionwriting ] Quote: > “I couldn’t believe the distance I got that day -- it was awesome to hang in the air that long,” said senior Kyle Smith. > “Since he was our first team member to go to state in school history, we were really excited for Kyle [Smith] to do well and kick it in,” said senior captain John Herman.

[ captionwriting ] Expanded: > Jammin’ Jump. Posting his personal best performance and setting new school and state long jump records, senior Kyle Smith makes his first attempt for the long jump title at the state competition at Central High School on Oct. 30. Smith was one of 10 qualifiers for state competition. “Since he was our first team member to go to state in school history, we were really excited for Kyle to do well and kick it in,” said senior captain John Herman.

[ captionwriting ] > State or Bust. With a total of four varsity squads going to state competitions, players show anxiety and excitement at their state finishes. This set a record for the most number of teams in school history to advance to state finals. “It’s been an amazing year for our athletic teams -- we never recognized so much support from the school community and other team members. The loyalty our fans have displayed has really added to our teams’ successes,” said Athletic Director Bernie Smith. Collection Marci Johnson: defends opponent Mark Asner: makes the championship play John Lawerence: Celebrates the state trophy. Kyle Smith: Attempts the long jump.

[ captionwriting ] Typographic design: > lead-in: graphically distinctive, usually larger > body: 8-point, easy to read font > row distinction: contrasting style > photographer credit: contrasting style, as part of the caption or a separate line of type under the photo